Epiphron hadn't meant to be so.. absent as of late. Her mind seemed to drift more often these days, and sleep came more easily and seemed harder to shake herself out of. Somewhere in her dreams she swore she heard Leo calling to her. The sound, so familiar, seemed more distant than ever. Like it was coming from another world entirely. She stirred slightly in her sleep, turning and rolling to her side. It took her a long while to realize that she really had heard Leo call. It was not something that existed only in her dreams. Slowly, warily, she shook sleep from her bones. She blinked as she peered out from the her den, taking a long while to bring herself to all hours. She'd been to more meetings in her life than she could count, and she had a feeling she was about to be late to this one. Letting out a yawn, she'd made her way to the gathering. Leo was speaking as she drew near, and she flashed her son an apologetic look as she reclined to her haunches and sat.

Even though they were late, he was glad to see Diana and Epiphron slip in while he was speaking. He glanced toward them both briefly, but he wouldn't comment on it. He waited for a moment to see if anyone needed to come speak to him before he got up and went over to Ara. He gave her a small smile as he said, "Ara, I'm going to reinstate your rank as a healer, but I need you to understand that if you want to be a part of this pack you have to at least be present for meetings and trainings. I don't ask that much of my members, but I do expect that much. I thought you had just left the pack completely since I haven't seen you around in so long. I don't mind if you need to leave for a bit, but I need you to let me know, okay?" He paused to make sure she understood and accepted this before he added, "I also just wanted to make sure you're doing alright. If something is going on or if there is anything I can help you with don't hesitate to ask." "Talk" "You" Think

Ara didn't know quite what to anticipate. If she was told to leave Fiori - a possibility that was both very real, and very terrifying - she didn't know where she'd go. Where was Ahlon, anyway? She found herself wondering, and was quite embarrassed to even be thinking it, if Novel had meant to leave her. There hadn't been signs of her being unhappy, but.. why would she be gone so long? Her brows furrowed as Leo directed his speech at her, though her expression softened at his words. She wasn't going to be kicked out after all, which she was grateful for. Imagining her life continuing with her wife was difficult enough, without needing to wonder where she might live too. "Thank you," Ara said, her words soft, though genuine. "I'll be more present," she assured him, nodding to confirm what she'd said. It was difficult to talk about, but she figured she owed Leo that much, if anything. "I've been having.. a hard time, without Novel,"  Ara admitted plainly, not wanting sympathy, but simply explaining in hopes that he might understand her plight. "I expected her return much sooner than this, and find myself worrying often. I guess I'm having a hard time without her." Admitting it sounded silly, but it was true. Ara wasn't used to sharing her feelings with anyone, especially not for awhile, but perhaps he would at least understand her scarcity given this little bit of information.