Next to Elijah, River let out a long sigh and sat on his haunches.
“He must be tired after all that barking,” I commented.
Elijah shook his head. “He was going crazy. I’d never seen him like that before. He was practically dragging me down the street on the way home, like he knew something was wrong.”
I smiled and leaned over to pet River’s head. The dog leaned into me and shut his eyes, as if appreciating the gesture.
Elijah put a hand on his hip. “He went against all his training, huh? If I told the program people about that, they might fire him.”
“What?” I cried.
“I’m just kidding.” He shrugged. “Well, not really, but they don’t have to know. Guide dogs aren’t supposed to be aggressive.”
“He wasn’t being aggressive!” I argued. “He was just barking! And he was trying to help me!”
Elijah’s grin turned into a belly laugh. “I know. Geez, you got feisty. By the way, what’s the deal with the lamp being on the ground? I nearly tripped on it earlier.”
“Oh.” I blushed. “I was using it like a weapon in case Larry tried to grab me.”
Elijah gave me an affectionate pat on the back. “That’s my mate. Good for you. Just make sure to put it back so I don’t fall, all right?”
“Will do.”
With the ordeal over and the adrenaline fading from our blood, we turned and headed back inside the house. River didn’t seem to be in a rush anymore.
“By the way, Felix,” Elijah began. “While I was out, I had a talk with your parents.”
“You did?” I asked hesitantly.
He shut the door behind him. “Yes. They explained the situation to me. About why they did what they did.”
“Oh,” I said simply, not knowing what he thought.
He touched my arm gently. “I understand it better now. Even though I still think it’s ridiculous, I know their hearts were in the right place. They just didn’t know what they were getting you into.”
I smiled, knowing my mate would be able to hear it in my voice. “Thank you, Elijah. That means a lot to me that you took the time to patch things up with them.”
“Oh, right.” He grinned. “And they know they’re going to be grandparents now, too.”
I gasped. “You told them? What did they say?”
“Super excited. Over the moon, even.”
He reached for my face, cupping it in his palm, then lowered his face so we brushed noses. I laughed breathlessly before the intimate motion turned into a sweet kiss.
Afterwards, the corners of Elijah’s smile faded.
“I was terrified about losing you today, Felix,” he admitted. “Today was . . .”
I squeezed his hand to comfort him as he found the words to continue.
“Today was the first time in a long time that I found myself wishing I was sighted,” Elijah admitted. The words hung heavily in the air. “I kept thinking about how much easier it would have made everything. When I got home and all I heard was noise, it scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know if you were okay. I didn’t know what was happening.”
“Elijah,” I murmured. “I’m safe because of you. You still saved me, even without being able to see.”
“I could have made a mistake,” he muttered. “What I did was an educated guess. I could have caused you more problems than I solved.”
I pressed my finger to his lips.
