Redhawk Caldera Fire away, fire away.

After Towhee let go of his paw it did stay there for another five or so seconds, before Eljay withdrew as well. Wow. He couldn't believe it. He almost forgot about his own problems for a moment as he just felt incredibly happy for Towhee. He knew how much she had grieved over her children, and while it wouldn't bring back the two she had lost, this was a glimpse at a different future for her. It was so good to see her smile again.

When she asked him if he would stay nearby, Eljay's enthusiastic smile fell off his face and was replaced by a thoughtful frown. He instantly thought of Maia. How long would it be until the pups were born? Could he be away from her for that long? They'd left things at a bad note, and he didn't want to let her wait that long. But maybe 'nearby' could be just hovering around most the time. It didn't mean he had to be there all the time, right?

Yeah, of course, Eljay said, swallowing all of his doubts. I mean, I may have to go places once or twice, but I'll hurry and I'll — I can stay near. He nodded, understanding how fragile she must feel right now. She'd already lost two, she must be terrified to lose the others. Once more Eljay felt like he had to choose between his own needs and those of others, but this time it was a lot easier for him to just choose for Towhee's.