abandonment finally got to him.

“I-…I don’t understand!” Dingo shouted amidst the tears. “I-…I didn’t do anything wrong!  Why did they have to…?”

Balto knew this feeling all too well, not from being abandoned by a family himself but more-so from not having one at all.  He had found an ever greater similarity between him and his son, even greater than what he found with his other pups.  He disengaged his glance from Dingo, eyes darting back and forth in thought.  When he found himself ready to act he inched closer to Dingo and removed the pup’s paws with his own to see the dark brown eyes beading back into his.  The eyes focused on Balto’s, the tears and cries completely silent as he spoke.

“Come on Dingo, don’t go blaming yourself.  It’s not your fault.  It’s theirs.  Things change, it’s inevitable.  And they weren’t ready for that.  There’s nothing you could have done to stop it, but they could have prepared themselves for you.  They didn’t, so they’re not the right family for you anyway.”

Dingo remained silent for a moment, taken aback by his father’s words.  He regained his shy personality and looked away shortly, then back again.

“Umm…thanks Dad.”

“Trust me Dingo, I know how you’re feeling.  I know what it’s like to be…well…abandoned.  But just know that you’ve had it, and still have it, better than I ever did.  I’m here for you, and your mother’s in town for you too.”

“Right…”

“I also want you to know that, no matter what happens, you always have a place here.  You can always come here and be safe, alright?”

“Alright Dad…t-thank you.  But uh…what am I going to do now?  I-…I want a home, an owner, a place.  I’ve got to fit in somewhere.”

“I want you to be happy, Dingo.  I want all my pups to have what you want.  I’ll help you find a place in Nome, but don’t stress out about that now alright?  We’ve got the opportunity to spend time together after so long; do…do you really want to give that up so soon?”

“Well…no…you’re right Dad.”

“Alright then.  Just relax and spend some time with me, see if you like it out here before you go looking for another family.”

“Alright…I’ll do that.”

They both regained a smile and Balto gave his son a confident nod in conclusion before returning to his side of the shelter.  Dingo settled back down and into the blanket, his adjacent father lying back down and settling without the protection.  Before lowering his head, however, Balto just kept a smile as he looked to his son.

“It’s good to have you back son.”

Dingo blushed a bit, which was blending into his red fur until it escalated into a pinkish color, and then smiled rather innocently before responding.

“Thanks.  It’s uh…good to be back.”

Balto’s smile retained its shape as his head was lowered and caught by the cold wood, his eyelids then growing heavy once more and soon hiding his eyes completely.  Dingo remained awake for a few more moments, his head resting on the deck while his eyes still darted and scanned the shelter.  As he investigated every segment of the wood construction, every potential splinter and split, he found they were starting to look and feel more like home.

BALTO   ~ 4 ~