( he huffs a laugh, his breath warm against the back of her neck as he leans in to get a different angle on a knot. )

Well, that's the hope, anyways. It's harder with my grandparents passed on. Mom never had much to do with the culture. Rez school bullshit, you know. Most of what I've learned has been from Tashina in the last decade or so. My older sister.

( his mom is a lawyer for the tribe, but she hasn't ever really embraced the culture the way tashina did. she keeps herself separate. fear, trauma, penance, he's given up on trying to understand why she does the things she does. all he can do is respect and support the choices she's made for herself. )