Broken Antler Fen stop time

Even his suggestion to go on a trip together was met with resistance, which caused a frown to fall to Eljay's face. He might've physically recoiled a little if he could to give her physical space — because she looked like she needed it — but considering they were laying with the pups he just stayed in place, though his muscles tensed. Not long after Maia reconsidered and said she wanted to go, apologised, and then said that they could go without ever really explaining to him why she thought they couldn't go in the first place.

Then she finally said something — something real, something about the situation. She said that things weren't like they were supposed to. That they were supposed to be happy, but that she couldn't truly feel happy now, because she just felt guilty all the time. Oh, Maia... Eljay said, feeling tears spring to his own eyes even though Maia couldn't seem to find hers. You don't have to — He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to be happy all the time, but that neither she had to feel bad for being happy. But before he could get out the words Maia said that she didn't think she should be a Raven, which surprised Eljay less than he expected, but was still disheartening. He wished he could help her somehow.

Why do you think that? he asked her calmly, wanting to hear her reasons. If any of it was not being good enough, then he didn't think it was a good reason. But if she genuinely thought that it was too much to handle right now, then maybe it might do her good to take a break.