Ralph and the Pixie

Nurture! he thought vehemently, seeing an all too familiar lost look in his daughter’s eyes, a sag to her shoulders. The only understanding Durus has of such a word is enough food in the belly to perform a good day’s labour!

Yet it never occurred to him to do anything about this, to attempt to close the gulf between his children and himself. He had never learned how.

And now, in Nevana’s case, he sensed that it was forever too late.