Moms make everything better

Briar nodded when Ember decided she'd rather talk while she worked and she gave her a smile of understanding. She often did her best thinking and had an easier time talking through things when her paws were busy too. "Of course you can help," she agreed and gestured for Ember to follow her over to where she had already begun to gather up some fruits for their next batch of wines. Being in the height of Auster's summer they had no shortage of ripe berries to pick from and she had her first harvest of grapes from some vines she had transplanted from the grapevine cathedral to play with too. She began to divide some of the fruits and berries into separate buckets for pairings that she knew worked well and a couple of more experimental ones while Ember began to explain what was on her mind.

First up was none other than the classic teenage struggle of figuring out feelings and emotions about other wolves. Relationships seemed to be the bane of every young wolf's existence, especially for her emotional girls. Briar couldn't help the little smirk that pulled at her lips as Ember danced around how to ask her question about liking someone. She always loved talking about relationships with her children. It was endlessly adorable in their own awkward way. Besides, she simply loved love and wanted nothing more for all of them to find the partnership and companionship she had found with Artorias. Eventually Ember asked how she knew she like-liked Artorias and Briar chuckled while plucking grapes off of vines and hanging a couple of bunches to Ember so she could do the same.

"You know... It's kind of hard to remember exactly what moment made me shift from just liking to like liking your dad," she said with a bit of amusement. "I've known him since we were very little and it kind of feels like he's always been a part of my life, but... There was a period time where your grandmother Resin was very sick and shortly after she passed my father found evidence that made him think my mother had been killed." It was kind of a somber subject that shifted away from the silliness of the real topic at hand, but she knew she'd have to set the scene for it to make sense. "I was living in the Armada at the time, of course, since we were both too young to move away from our families, but we still visited each other all of the time through that whole period. It really made be realize what they mean in wedding vows when they talk about being together though the best and worst times. He was–and is–my best friend and he helped me become the best version of myself." She grinned a little to lighten the mood again, adding, "And I like to think I improved him a bit too."

"Briar Carpathius"