nessiaing
Drury was pacing back and forth. He hadn't been able to settle in since his daughter had moved away from him to be with some boy. Even at the thought of them off living together was fair too much for the red maned lion. Ummi had been Drury's sole reason for living for so long. He saw so much of his mother in her, the pride lands had tried to kill her just like they killed her mother. Now his little girl, who wasn't so little anymore, had moved out and had a life of her own and Drury was so not okay with it.

Drury gave his head a shake and tried to stop thinking about her. She was still in the area perhaps today he should go and check on her, she wouldn't have to know that he was there. It would be just for him, just for his piece of mind. If he could just see her know that she was okay he would be able to rest easy.

Painted Moose
Kipenzi watched after Drury with a cluck of her tongue, and an arched brow. She'd meant only to come get him so that he could share in her most recent kill, but she hadn't expected to see him so fidgety. In truth, she should have, but Kipenzi had hoped he would slowly come to accept things as they were.

"Sweetheart, you're going to give yourself grey fur." Kipenzi fussed. "Ummi's fine, and you can go see her whenever you want to. Gil's a big guy; a big, gentle guy. She's in good paws." Her step-daughter meant a great deal to her, but Kipenzi had watched her go with a smile. Love was the most important thing in the world, and Ummi deserved it more than anyone.

nessiaing
Drury turned a little surprised to his mate had snuck up on him. He had been so pre-occupied that he hadn't even heard her come up. He shook his head when she spoke, he was having a hard time letting his little girl go and that was putting it mildly.

"I know he is a big guy, and sure he might be able to take care of her, but he doesn't know how to..." he trailed off unable to come up with a satisfactory way to end that sentance that wouldn't make him sound like a crazy overprotective father. He let out a great sigh and looked at his mate. "I worry about her, I almost lost her once." he said.

Painted Moose
Kipenzi softened her expression, but sighed all the same. "I know, sweetheart, and you'll always worry about her because of how important she is to you. That's natural, and I'm not trying to take that away from you, but..." She furrowed her brows, trying to think of the right way to word what needed to be said. "If you kept her with us for the rest of her life she would be miserable. Ummi would watch her cousins grow, love and move away only to be stuck herself. She would come to resent you." Kipenzi moved close enough to her mate to brush against his side. "Gil can do what we can't. We can support her like a daughter, but he can love her as a mate. She won't feel pitied or something fragile put away for protection. Gil can encourage her to do what she can while making sure she doesn't push herself." Kipenzi smiled. "I trust him, Drury."

nessiaing
Drury listened to his mate, she always seemed to have a way of putting things so that he could understand. When it was all laid out like that in front of him like that it was hard to argue with, infact it was impossible to argue with. He let out another sigh. "I don't think I was ready for her to leave. But as usual dear you are right." he said offering her a nuzzle.

Letting out a sigh he sat back and got a wicked grin on his face. Shifting gears he looked back towards his mate. "You know we don't have anyone around her to take care of anymore my dear, and I do so like having someone to take care of." he said wondering if she would follow his train of thought. Drury had only had one litter and it was later in life than most generally started. He knew that his mate had had two litters now and the circumastances behind her second weren't exactly health or happy. They had never talked about having a family of their own, things had always been about Ummi but with her gone now perhaps it was time they visited the topic.

Painted Moose
Kipenzi chuckled, "Of course I am, Drury." After all, she'd been a young girl once too, and had found herself swept into grand love affairs twice in her life. They were thrilling things that filled one's heart near too bursting, and every time she looked at Drury she couldn't help smiling. Just knowing that Ummi would have that one day lifted her heart.

Was he...? She quirked her brow and gave him a little pensive, knowing look. "Honestly...I hadn't even considered having anymore cubs." Kipenzi answered at length, "I just...it's not that I don't want anymore, I would love to have them, I would love to have them with you, it's just...what if I'm a terrible mom again?" It had taken her forever to acknowledge the fact she'd even had cubs, let alone give her sons the attention they needed. They'd looked too much like their father, and it scared her. If Ekuweme hadn't stepped up she didn't know what would have happened.

nessiaing
Drury could see his mate struggling with her words and it made the pit of his stomach drop. He hated seeing her in any sort of distress it pained him so much. He moved closer to her wanting to cuddle her but knowing to carry out a conversation she needed to be able to see his face and read his lips.

"You couldn't possibly be a terrible mother my dear." he told you his eyes filled with love. "You have already shown that with how you cared for Ummi when we came out here. The circumstance with your last litter." he paused knowing he needed to step lightly here. "What we have is so much more, is so strong, is so filled with love. Our cubs would be the most loved cubs that have ever walkd this earth." he told her. "And my mother set that bar high." he added with a bit of a laugh to lighten the mood up a bit.

Painted Moose
Everything surrounding her last litter was covered in a dark, hazy cloud. At the time Kipenzi had been too frightened and traumatized to work through it, but as her cubs grew older she began to see things differently. Their father was a monster, but they were innocent. And they had deserved a mother who was there for them...

And yet, she wanted to believe in him. In the love that Drury had in his heart that seemed to be so never ending.

"She did, she really did," Kipenzi gave a little grin. "I would...like to try. If your mother were here she would tell me to buck up, slap me on the back and keep me going."