Step 3: Learn to love yourself first

Sakana had never expected to be defensive of Modesty of all wolves. Contrary to popular belief he wasn't her biggest fan. She was dramatic and needy and required far more emotional input as a patient than any of her kids did. He took a moment to consider that perhaps Flurry had inherited some of her mother's obstinate neediness, even so, he wasn't going to lie to her face about his thoughts on the matter. “Yeah right, one o' her wolves that rocked up on our beach jus' after one o' her other wolves maimed yer baby sister, an' her child. Sid very well coulda died with that head knock, I dunno if she'll ever see properly again. How's yer mum supposed ter take it? Any intruder at tha' point but especially one o' them?” The boy was baffled.

As Flurry continued her spiral chugging more alcohol down, Sakana started to have flashbacks of Modesty's drunken half dead flight across the countryside, and he didn't have enough valerian left to pull that sort of retrieval off again. He sighed in exasperation and handed her another fish stick, moving his growing frame to wrap around his age-mate not-sibling, bringing his chin to rest across her shoulder in the best approximation of a hug he could manage with her sprawled out and curling in on herself.

“Look, 's not my place ter say so, but yer mum had a good reason ter run off like she did once she got free o' the room. I didn't think she was ready ter come out, but I'm glad I didn't keep 'er locked up any longer'n I did.” His stomach churned uncomfortably even saying that much. “I reckon there's a lot more goin' on than we know, so if she loses it at her kids gettin' hurt, who am I ter judge? I had ter knock 'er out ter get 'er back at all, an' some o' th' shit she was sayin'...” He pulled a face. “If it helps at all, I reckon she'd bring th' same pain fer any o' yers getting hurt like that.” He tried to focus on his breathing, hoping she would feel the movement against her spine and try to breathe along with him.

“Speech”