seat cuddling Rosa. Reaching the podium Arthur took a small piece of paper out of his pocket as Jenna jumped up placing her paws on the podium.

“It has been one of the worst years of mine and Vi’s life, Rosie’s death came as a shock to both of us,” Arthur said sadly. “Rosie was a happy, beautiful little girl who saw the best in everyone and never judged. I’ll always remember the day she got Jenna, the look of utter joy on her face will stay with me. Jenna and Rosie united in friendship no better friend did Rosie have then Jenna. They would play for hours throwing balls and wondering through a world of make believe. Rosie loved Jenna, seeing them together on the sled last year was wonderful to see. Rosie had another close animal friend the wolf dog Balto. Looking back I see now that Balto was a good friend to Rosie. I would often see them playing ball or chasing each other through the snow.”

        Putting his hand to his eyes Arthur wiped away tears, unable to continue he walked away from the podium. Sitting back down next to Violet, Arthur cried bitter tear for Rosie.

     When the last speaker returned to their seat the town’s folk climbed to their feat. Walking together to the edge of town they came to a bronze statue of a husky and two children, a boy and a girl, on a plaque were engraved the names of the children and dogs who had died during the epidemic. One by one the families lit candles and placed them at the statue’s base, each one inscribed with the name of their child. Looking up at the face of the bronze face of the girl Violet placed a candle in front of the statue. At that moment the Northern Lights burst across the sky to the amazement of all. Jenna turned to look at them dancing on the hill above Nome, for a moment a figure appeared in the mist of the light. Time seemed to stand still as Violet and Jenna looked into the face of Rosie, Rosie smiled as a white wolf appeared next to her.

“Mamma,” Rosa’s voice broke into Jenna’s mind breaking the spell. “Mamma people are going back to the town hall.”

“Oh thank you for telling me,” Jenna replied looking down at her daughter.

        As the crowd dispersed Jenna looked back at the lights but all only lights shimmered above Nome. Shaking her head Jenna looked at Rosa and the statue, had she really seen Rosie or had she only seen what she had wanted to see? In the Town Hall people gathered for dinner and to simple support each other, coming together as a community. Dogs dined with their owners, the dogs having special meal themselves that was different from their owner’s food. In memory of the sled team the town dogs had been allowed to join their owners. Sitting next to her mother Rosa listened as stories were told of the past, stories of Rosie, Jenna and Balto. At the mention of her father’s name Rosa’s ears pricked up as she had been told little about him by Jenna. Jenna herself listened sadly to the stories remember them with a heavy heart. .

“I remember the race last year, Rosie had been given a sled for her birthday, she had been asking for one. Seeing Jenna pull it with Rosie mush riding it was wonderful to see. That race where Balto grabbed her hat when it flew off. I suppose I should have anticipated that Rosie would want Balto to pull the sled,” Violet said smiling sadly at the memories.

      As story continued emotions surged through Jenna, taking to her paws she ran out of the Town Hall as fast as she could. Overcome by emotion Jenna ran until she collapsed, to her surprise her paws had taken her to Balto’s boat. Silence told her that Boris was out, most likely with Muk and Luk. As if in a trance she walked up onto the boat, jumping on the roof of the cabin she looked up at the sky.

“Balto, why did you leave? I miss you so much every day. If I had only known I was pregnant at the time, we could have been a family. If it's okay I'll leave the house light on
And place your bone where it belongs
And if alright
I'll lie awake at night
Pretending I’m curled up at your side

See I’m circling these patterns
Living out of memories.”

   Memories of Balto playing with Rosie flooded through Jenna, of Rosie chasing after Balto when he took her hat. Of her and Balto playing fetch on the beach both laughing as the ball narrowly missed hitting Boris on the head. Balto appearing at Rosie’s bedroom window on Christmas morning, so he could wish them both a merry Christmas. 

“I'm still a long way from accepting it
That there's just no you and me

But if I still believe you love me
Maybe I’ll survive
So I tell myself you're coming home
Like you've done a million times
And if it's alright
I'll still be loving you
'cause I can't break it to my heart

Is it just me
Did I commit a crime?”

   Jenna thought about her friendship with Kaltag and the other town dogs, how she could never prevent them from tormenting Balto. Her past friendship with Steel when they were pups, racing them through the snow, at times Balto would see them together.   

“I won't believe that loving you
Was just a waste of time
Or was it in my head?
I'm reading into things that you never said?

'cause I still don't have the answers
To why we couldn't work it out
I wanna think it's something that I did
So I can turn it back around

But if I still believe you love me
Maybe I’ll survive
So I tell myself you're coming home
Like you've done a million times”
   In her mind Jenna saw Balto coming over the hill above Nome and running into town. Balto ran to Jenna licking her and nuzzling her. The pups appeared and Balto greeted each one with a lick. The family walked to Balto’s boat, sitting out on the deck Balto told his children all about his adventures in the wild. With eyes sparking the pups listened, sitting next to him Jenna smiled, at last they were a family.

“And if it's alright
I'll still be loving you
'cause I can't break it to my heart.”

And nothing will come between us
I wanna convince myself we're perfect in
Every single way as long as I can keep
The truth away from my heart
Oh 'cause I can't break it to my heart

'cause I still don't have all the answers
To why we couldn't work it out
I wanna think it's something that I did
So I can turn it back around

But if I still believe you love me
Maybe I’ll survive
So I tell myself you're coming home
Like you've done a million times
And if it's alright
I'll still be loving you
'cause I can't break it to my heart,” Jenna sang, tears running down her cheek.

     Walking into the cabin Jenna curled up under Balto’s old blanket, trying to draw comfort from it. Then the sounds of paws on wood drifted into the cabin, Rosa appeared in the doorway.   

 “Rosa what are you doing here?” asked Jenna looking at her daughter in surprise.

“I wanted to see where you were, I got worried when you didn’t come back to the party,” Rosa replied walking over to her mother.

“That is very sweet of you. Hearing about your Daddy makes me sad,” Jenna replied licking her daughter’s cheek.

“Do you miss him?”

“Every day, you remind me so much of him.”

“I wish I could meet him.”

“So do I.”

“Why did he have to leave?”

“He was unhappy here and he thought he would be happier if he left.”

“Was he unhappy because of me?”

“He did not know you existed when he left, I did not even know you existed,” Jenna whispered nuzzling her pup.

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t know.”

“One day I will go and find him then we can all be a family,” Rosa replied looking at her mother.

    Far away Balto stood outside the large cave that the pack had made their own. The cave was on the side of a mountain and overlooked a river that ran meters below. From their spot the wolves could see both the river and out into the forest. In truth it was the perfect place to raise pups. Nearby his pack member chatted or played in the snow, just as Mat jumped onto him Aniu appeared. Climbing to his paw Balto playfully hit Mat on the head before walking over to his mother.

“Mother what bring you here?” Balto asked gaily.

“Today the first anniversary of Rosie’s death,” Aniu replied quietly.

“Is it really a year?” Balto whispered, sadness flickering across his eyes. “A year ago I was such a naïve fool. I miss her Mother but I cannot live in the past. What happened was an accident its place is in the past.”

“You have changed my son all connections to who you were back then are gone,” Aniu replied looking at her son.

“I will not dream of what could have been or mourn the loss of that life. I am happy here to be happy I have to let go of the past.”

“To let go is to heal.”

“I will never forget the happy times with Rosie, she will be in my heart forever.”

“Yet you will not allow the past to rule your future.”

“Nome is no longer my concern. If you go back at all I don’t want to hear about it. My ties with that place are cut. It’s best for everyone that I move on and consign it to a