Mommy was sad. But she’s happy now.

Zevulun felt the swift and unfortunately familiar ache flood his chest, starting from his heart, as his pale blue eyes found Eirena. He wished it were possible to never again cause her any heartache and sorrows, but he was wise enough now to understand that was something he couldn’t promise. He could only just imagine the worry that must’ve clung heavy to Eirena in his absence, and he was sure it was difficult to see him go, even when he promised it would only be a few days. Every family member who had to stay in the Savanna as he pushed his still-healing body into the waters to handle business elsewhere had to have had the same worrisome thought: What if something bad happens.

It was only three seasons ago, after all, that the worst had come to him and to those who loved him.

Hopefully his presence here now and the Prairie being theirs again would help soothe even a touch of whatever anxiety his absence could have inspired. As much as he could help it, Zevulun felt his days of traveling away from the Prairie were even more narrow than before. In his youth, adventure had taken precedence. Now, thoughts of the sleek deep brown stallion who’d snuck into the Prairie to take Claret, or the small black stallion who’d come across the quiet, sorrow-stricken Prairie and taken it for his own, inspired guilt whenever Zevulun thought of going elsewhere. How many times could he fail before it was just too much? How many times could he expect those who loved him, especially those who had faced such heartache before, to stick around and believe in him if he kept failing them?

You look quite handsome.

A smile melted across Zevulun’s lips and all the worries that’d begun to fill his head simply vanished, replaced by a blissful warmth the longer he looked upon Eirena’s beautiful face. He watched her even as she turned her head away and looked at their daughter. Zevulun could not see her expression any longer, but there was some sort of energy in the air then, and it slowly pulled the smile from his lips and brought a mask of concern across his face. Before he could speak to ask her if she was okay, Eirena moved, pushing herself up against him and slinging her neck across his back, and Zevulun naturally melted into her touch.

A few seconds passed and he felt the dampness along his spine and knew… his pink-lined ear tilted back toward her, caught the soft hitch of her breath, and he felt his heart crawl up into his throat.

“There, there,” he whispered, hushed and comforting, turning his neck to place his own cheek against her skin, gently leaving warm kisses on her coat. "I'm here."

Zevulun didn’t need to ask exactly what might’ve brought any tears, he only had to have some small idea of all the pain she had endured, and remembered the way she had looked when he’d come across her the first time they’d met. He wished he could offer something concrete to help firmly keep the fear and sadness at bay, but Zevulun had been humbled recently and knew those big promises shouldn’t be made. Instead, he only held her, and stood firmly as her rock, hoping that if she did want to cry, she would let it all out on him, with him, so he could at least hold her through it.