The closeness was nice, that much she did in fact know for certain. There were many strange things but, she had decided, this was not one of them. Instead, it felt more natural than her interactions with the others at times. Though she had begun to feel a fondness for those within her pack, it seldom felt the same as it did with Meryl; there was a disconnect between them all, a misunderstanding and yet, with him, it seemed as if he understood her. If he didn't, he at least tried and that meant the world to her. She had believed there had been a reason for her family to have left her, and now she had begun to discover what that might have been. How else could she make sense of it all?

And so, one could only have imagined her joy when he spoke of caring. Care in her previous life had been a basic thing; food, shelter, company but this seemed to be more than that. She had seen the way he had cared about his family or any other that he might need to heal - it was a whole new level, and she hoped that she had acquired such a standing. With those words, she realized that she had. It was a joy that almost erupted within her, a red hot fuzziness that spread below her skin with giddy vigor. This had not been the way she had intended or imagined their reunion might have been but... how could she complain about it? It seemed that her getting lost might have been the smartest thing she had ever done.

Even then, she felt her stomach coil up in a sickening nervousness as the silence lingered between them but for a moment. She could feel her own heart change in tempo, speeding along and thumping heavily behind her ribs. It was a feeling like sickness, she could not help but think, to have said such words. So, then, when he spoke so quietly, it felt as if her very insides burst at the seams. Instantly, her ears flickered forward and she leaned in closer to hear the words - they were difficult to catch. The wind swept them away from her and her brows furrowed for a moment, a new kind of uncertainty chewing away at her. What were these feelings? Why was she so afraid to hear his words and yet, at the same time, she was so excited.

But then - the words. The words beat the wind and they entered her ears like thunder. Each syllable, each unique lip formation and the way his breath howled through his throat; the words came to her and in a moment, it seemed like the world became more illuminated.

"This one... this one loves Meryl."

She spoke the words as firmly as possible, attempting to portray the utmost seriousness of the words across her delicate features. For a moment, she allowed them to sink in before she interjected once more, taking a firm step forward.

"This one will stay with Meryl. Where Meryl will go, this one shall be."

Was it done in such a way? It didn't matter, she did not think. For now, she wanted to bask in the elation his words had provided and with a quiet yip, she fell into a playful bow. Her tail rose behind her, waving excitedly behind her as she bounded back, her face alight with the largest grin it had seen in so many years. Surely, nothing could have been a coincidence. She had been left here for him.