Meadowlark Prairie the lady of the house

His mention of two mothers stirred up a memory of her older sister. But she let it drift back into the murk of her mind as another thought crossed it. She still didn't know much about Reyes's background. Well, there would be plenty of time to get up to speed.

Towhee didn't say anything as he backpedaled, though she did press her nose to the side of his neck, crossing the touch barrier at long last. She moved so they could walk side by side uphill, curving south so they could pass up and over the caldera's rim and drop down toward the den between the forest and the creek.

"There's a lot going on right now. And that's an understatement," she said as they made their slow way home. "But something we'll need to do is come up with names. I'd like to meet them first, though it can't hurt to have some ideas." She wondered if he had any, though Towhee didn't ask now, on the spot. There would be time for that too.