object of her anger? What would happen to them, to their relationship? This final question terrified him, and he pushed it from his mind hastily. He walked for a few minutes, trying to think, his thoughts clouded by pain. He let out a tense breath and looked up at the moon, wondering if he could stave off the steady advance of desperation. A voice suddenly cut through the confusion. “Balto?” He looked down and across the street to see Doc walking toward him. “Hello,” Balto replied. “Hello. I’m curious, perhaps you can answer a question for me?” Balto nodded. “What makes Balto walk at night, so no one will see his emotions? Why doesn’t he go to Jenna instead?” Balto sighed. “It’s not the easiest thing to tell.” “Well then, come into the restaurant, and we can talk.” They went in and sat down at the bar, and Dixie came over to them. “Hi, guys. What do you feel like tonight?” “Warm milk,” said Doc. “Okay,” Dixie said, “and you, Balto?” “Just water, please,” he said softly, depression weighing down his voice. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star broke off a conversation and came to sit down around the pair. “Hey, Balto!” said Star, “how’s it goin’?” “What’ll you have, boys?” said Dixie. “How ‘bout yous?” said Nikki, tickling Dixie’s chin. Nikki’s flirting was far more casual than it sounded, but it was certainly shameless. Dixie laughed. “Alright, I’ll have a drink with you later, big boy. Seriously, what would you all like?” “Raspberry on the rocks,” they said simultaneously. Dixie ran to the back room, and Kaltag spoke to Balto. “So, how’s life treating you, buddy?” Balto didn’t answer, and when Dixie returned with their orders, he barely drank the water, but rather pushed the bowl around slowly. “That bad, huh?” said Nikki. “What’s eating yous?” Balto still didn’t respond; the questions only seemed to be making him feel worse. It suddenly came to Doc what could be happening. “Oh, no,” he said in disbelief, “it can’t be problems with Jenna?” Balto was still briefly, and then nodded. “Ah, man!” Star said, compassion in his voice. “What happened?” “I don’t know,” Balto choked, losing control again. “I don’t know what’s wrong. She’s been really upset with me for two days. “Was it something you did?” asked Kaltag. “I don’t know!” Balto half-wailed. He paused, getting a handle on himself, and continued. “I keep thinking it must have been, but I haven’t done anything! I’ve racked my brain over and over, just trying to think of the slightest thing I might have done, but…nothing!” “How bad is it?” asked Star. “She just got really angry at me earlier this evening before I went out,” said Balto. “I mean, she was screaming at me, and all I did was ask her if she wanted to make love! I just don’t know what to do.” He groaned with frustration, shaking his head. “I…I’ve gotta do something. This is going to ruin our relationship, and…I don’t want it to end…” He began sobbing, and the others watched him, sobered merely by hearing his pain.

Doc put his paw on Balto’s shoulder. “Listen, son,” he said. “Less than two months ago, I performed the ceremony that bound you and Jenna forever. Those bonds go deeper than that ceremony, though. They are bonds of love, and it’s been ages since I’ve seen a couple that loves each other as much as you and Jenna. Did you do something that made her angry, you wonder? Perhaps. But don’t go blaming yourself like this. You are one of the most loving husbands I’ve ever seen. What you have to do is keep giving that love to Jenna. I know what she says may hurt, but I would guess that’s because, for whatever reason, she’s feeling a pain that’s far worse. If she’s hurting, she needs you, Balto. She needs that love. And if you keep giving it to her, she’ll open up to you, and things will work out. Do you love Jenna, Balto?” “Yes, sir, with every part of my being.” “And do you believe she loves you?” Balto thought about their first date, their first kiss, Jenna’s laugh, her face, her touch, the conversations they had, the joy of time spent with her, and their wedding day, especially their wedding day, everything that brought memories of her love for him. He smiled, relieved. “Yes, I do.” Doc smiled and nodded. “Good. Now go home to her; she’s probably lonely.” Balto grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you so much. I will!” He raced out the door, and Doc turned to Nikki, Kaltag, and Star. “I think they’re going to be alright,” he said, smiling warmly.

Jenna lay on the couch, her soul immolated in agony, unable to stop her tears. Once again, two voices were fighting in her head, and she spoke their words out loud.
“What are you so upset about? Remember what you saw him do? Now, he’s getting what he deserved.” “Was it worth this? I’ve hurt him again, without even being sure if he did anything.” She sobbed loudly. “What have I done? He’s probably not even coming back…” She covered her eyes with her paws, sobbing violently, knowing that she may full well have seen the last of Balto earlier that evening. Then, she heard the dog door, and for an instant, her sobs were ones of relief. “Oh, thank goodness,” she breathed, hurriedly wiping her eyes and forcing down her sobs. That was the easy part; she had to force her feet to carry her toward the front door. The dreadful things she had said…she had no idea of how she was going to face Balto. As she slowly entered the small foyer, he was standing there, wiping his paws. He brightened at seeing her, the way he always did. “Heya, baby,” he said, smiling. “I promised I would be home soon.” Jenna’s face was full of guilt and sadness as she stared at her handsome, wonderful husband, standing there without a trace of the anger she so deserved to receive. “Balto,” she said, her tone ashamed and apologetic, “I…I…” She couldn’t find any words that sounded good enough for an apology, nothing that she felt was adequate to salve the wounds she knew she had opened. “I…” Her voice took on an edge of pain, and she fought visibly to keep a sob down. Balto didn’t say anything, but rather just walked forward as Jenna kept trying to speak, barely able to look at him. “I, ah…I don’t know what to say, I…” Sitting down in front of her, Balto cupped her face in his paws, and kissed her head softly. This simple gesture of love and comfort destroyed whatever was left of Jenna’s fragile emotional control, and she burst into tears. Balto pulled her gently toward him, letting her bury her face in his shoulder. “Jenna, don’t speak; I know it hurts.” He held her as she sobbed silently, her shoulders shaking. After several moments, she felt strong enough to speak again. “I am so sorry, Balto,” she moaned brokenly. “It’s okay,” he said. “I forgive you, honey.” He moved back, and they kissed each other. “Come on,” Balto said gently. “Let’s go to bed.”

Jenna walked slowly with him as he rubbed the side of her head with his muzzle. “Are you angry?” she asked. “No,” said Balto. “Don’t worry. It’s okay.” Jenna lay down in the bed with an exhausted sigh, and Balto put his paws around her. “Will you be alright?” he asked, and she nodded. “I think so.” “Okay, then. Try to get some sleep, darling, alright? See you in the morning. I love you.” “I love you, too,” Jenna said. Her thoughts began racing again, but this time, instead of thinking about what she had seen, she began wondering how she could believe that Balto would do something like that. With all the love and care he was giving her so genuinely…he just didn’t seem like a cheating husband. But if he wasn’t, she’d have to find some way to explain what she had seen, and other than the obvious, none presented themselves, regardless of the effort spent trying to find one.

A little more than an hour later, Jenna struck a cushion angrily, so frustrated she wanted to yell. Balto, who had been repeatedly sleeping for a few minutes only to wake up again, turned over. “What happened, Jenna?” She turned toward him, looking totally defeated. “I just can’t sleep,” she said bitterly. “I’m so tired…I want to sleep, but I can’t!” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know…” She sighed shakily, and Balto could hear how weary she was. He felt saddened at seeing his beautiful wife in so much misery. “C’mon,” he said, caressing Jenna’s ears and standing. She stood up, and they walked into the moonlit living room. Balto put his paws around Jenna and lay back on the couch, stroking her gently. “So, what do you want to do?” he asked. “I could put some music on, or get food, or we could talk.” “Would you mind just holding me like this?” “I can do that. If you want to do something else, just ask, okay?” “Okay.”

Balto and Jenna spent the next couple of hours holding each other on the couch, talking idly and kissing now and then. Times like these always brought out the strength and beauty of their love, and Jenna was glad of the small joy it brought to her heart, keeping her pain at bay enough that she could enjoy the gentle intimacy of the night. Balto could tell when she seemed to be getting sad again, and he would kiss and stroke her until she felt better. He said he loved her frequently, which gave her heart a little surge of strength every time she heard it. Through the whole thing, he put aside his fatigue to help alleviate hers, and she was so grateful to him she couldn’t find the words to say so. When the grandfather clock in the living room heralded the hour of one in the morning, they were still awake. At the moment, Jenna was speaking to Balto. “It’s hard to believe how lucky I am sometimes. I mean, us? It’s such a blessing.” She ran her lips over Balto’s neck, and he shivered and pulled Jenna closer to him as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Yeah; I dreamed about being married to you, but I never thought I would be. When did you first start thinking about being married to me?” Jenna didn’t say anything. “Babe?” he said, looking at her. Finally, she had fallen asleep, and he smiled. “Goodnight,” he whispered, carrying her on his back to the bed and