Isabella blinked through her tears, vision blurry until a tiny, warm shape pressed against her leg. Glimora. The little creature's nose nuzzled her softly, a faint whimper leaving its throat — and when Isabella looked down, her heart clenched. There were actual tears glimmering in Glimora's big, round eyes.
"Oh my gods… baby, why are you crying with me?" Isabella's voice broke halfway between a laugh and a sob as she scooped Glimora into her arms. The little beast's fur was soft, tickling her cheek as she buried her face in it, clutching her tightly like she could squeeze her pain away.
Glimora made a small cooing sound, clutching gently at Isabella's face, trying to wipe the tears off her cheeks with her tiny claws. Isabella let out a wobbly laugh at that — the kind that cracked open halfway through. "You're wiping me? Oh, you're such a good baby," she whispered, pressing her forehead against Glimora's. "But you'll get all messy. I don't want you looking ugly like your mama."
