Hope Falls

"By that age he wouldn't appreciate it as much, have less fun with it." Florence cast a glance over her shoulder to watch Kael further dismantle the bookcase. "I'd rather he have fun and destroy things then be disinterested in everything."

“We’re not teaching him he can destroy things for fun, Florence. Your people have a bad reputation as it is. If he grows up thinking he can just break things for the fun of it, it’s going to feed into the conclusions people have already drawn because of what he is.”

"My people." Florence spat the label. "He needs the sensory stimulation, he always has. I am not saying we encourage him to wreck anything, but preventing him from play that he needs isn't fair. Especially just to prevent other people's opinions. Fuck what they think, they'll hate him no matter what he does so let him be himself."

"The people don't and won't hate him, not the people that matter." Kael intervened cautiously.

"The people hate everything that isn't like them, they are bigoted and cruel. Sullivan needs to be granted the years of fun when he doesn't notice their stares, whilst he can be protected from them."

“You are casually suggesting we commission someone’s hard work on something you accept he’ll just destroy, and suggest we encourage it. It’s insulting to the carpenter for a start. It is a waste of resources and time. I’m not doing that Florence. There is a difference between allowing him to play and get messy and allowing him to run rampant with no restrictions and be destructive. We both know the kind of people that are formed when children grow up unchecked on their bad behaviour because mama is worried his feelings will be hurt by the word no.”

"So now I am a bad mother who doesn't say no?" Florence bit back, trying not to flinch at the sting of his words. "I am sorry you had to walk in to the quarters being a state, this is not how it has been every day you are away. I just thought a nice bookcase would be... nice." She lowered her gaze, "It isn't important."

“Do not turn that into a self pitying moment to distract from the actual argument. You think we should be encouraging destructive behaviour. It isn’t about the mess. It’s about you thinking this level of chaos would be encouraged and repeated.”

"I didn't say - I didn't mean that."

"Don't argue," Kael grimaced. "You are both tired, and you have missed each other. Some conversations should be had after a decent night of sleep."

“A conversation about allowing my son to run rampant and destroy at will isn’t a discussion I’ll be having. It won’t be happening.” Wyatt muttered, going back to tidying the place up.

Florence worked in silence, grabbing the last of the feathers from the floor before leaving the room. Closing their bedroom door closes behind herself seconds later.

"You are both exhausted." Kael repeated the statement quietly, leaning back to sit with his back to the wall then.

“She encourages nonsensical ideas like allowing him to just be destructive so he can have fun. It’s not okay.”

"No, no it isn't okay but I think you both misinterpreted each other."

“I think our ideas regarding his upbringing are completely different and arguing over it is only going to become more common.”

"Then you need to both put your egos down and meet half way, a half way that will only be reached with a conversation when you are both rested. You both want the best for him, it isn't a war."

“She will win because she is the one who is with him most of the time. And so my son will be raised as a feral wolf who will only end up further ostracised from our community because of his species. Because Florence doesn’t care what they think.”

"Florence is not a wolf in her mind. She spends more time around us, barely any with them. She wouldn't know how to raise a feral wolf.  She will not win, there is nothing to win. Sully will be fine, Wyatt... your both doing so well. Your both doing your best. You're not losing, you're not failing."

“Sullivan will need to work twice as hard to be accepted by our people and it’s unfair but it’s possible. He can do it. But not if Florence keeps encouraging all the behaviours that our people will cast him aside for. And then when he feels alone because who she has moulded him into isn’t who our people want, he will go to the wolves who will be beyond fucking gleeful that my son has ended in their folds. The son of the head of the royal guard who was raised among them and years of inside experience deciding to join their ranks? He’ll be the Adairs best friend by the time he hits your age. She might not care what the other Fae think. But him being accepted is crucial so he does not get pushed away.”

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