plans awry

Cascade stared at him quizzically, too tired for full on suspicion, but he was being so... nice. Why would he be this nice after the way she'd gone behind his back? He claimed her family didn't deserve her, but how could she deserve him then? "I don't... I'm not..." But... she sighed. "Neios is insane. I won't miss him and I wouldn't trust him around my family if he came back. If he hurt the kids... if he hurt you..." A spark roughened her voice, her lips lifting just slightly to show a flash of fangs. But the flash of fire faded and she sought to press back against him again. "I'm relieved that he's gone," she admitted into his chest. "I've just always held onto this idea that I would come back and Neios and Nausica and my mother would be here waiting for me, and we'd be this happy family. But..." she shrugged, dropped her head against him. "We hadn't been even before I got lost. I'm mourning something I never even had."