Love Somebody

It was strange to hear Song call this woman mother as well, but she knew family meant much more than just blood. Her father had told her the story of how he'd been adopted -- his birth father had been cruel, and had never loved him. But his adoptive parents had been anything but. A smile graced her lips and she found her tail beginning to twitch happily behind her.

She wondered if her visit with Novel had prompted such a visit. She had enjoyed her time with the girl thoroughly, and to see her mother so happy nearly brought tears of joy to her eyes. They were always happy, but this was different. From them, Ara had learned to never regret, to always live in the moment, as though it might be the last day you lived. Her attention shifted to Novel as she greeted Silent as well, and her smile grew.

Her mother's joy was contagious, and she found the motion of her tail growing more rapid, thumping against the earth contentedly. It seemed her mother didn't know that she had met with Novel against so recently, but why would she? She had enjoyed that day so much that, for a reason she didn't know, she had kept it to herself. They had spoken about things that were personal to them both, and she found that she enjoyed having something that was hers and hers alone.

Her mother would suggest a walk, and she would follow more than gladly. They could eat together, and talk -- but Ara was not particularly hungry. She was simply happy to spend the time with her mother and Song and Novel. However, she was beyond delighted when her father's familiar form came into view. She would quickly rise to greet him, her eyes sparkling with adoration. "Dad!" she would nearly exclaim, her smile growing.