The afternoon was beautiful in town; it wasn’t too cold, and many people were out and about. Balto was walking home from the dog’s restaurant, having been there to inquire into getting a bottle of juice. Sylvie was unable to find what he was looking for at that time, but assured him she could do so the next day. Balto came around a corner behind a few buildings, humming to himself as he walked. He reflected on life, on how good it felt and how big a change that was from what it had been. Nearly two months ago, he and Jenna married, fulfilling a dream he’d had ever since he saw her, and the bliss that had begun the moment they shared their first married kiss had not ceased or faded since. He smiled as he thought of Jenna, knowing how special she was and how lucky he was to be her husband. He knew she felt the same; she had long been in want of someone who would love her heart rather than merely her body, and Balto granted her that wish.

Suddenly, a voice cut into his thoughts. “Hi, there,” someone said off to his right. He turned to look. It was a female dog, leaning up against a wall. “What’s your name, stranger?” she said. “Balto,” he said. “Yours?” “Rita. I’m new here.” “Nice to meet you, Rita. Well, I’m on an errand; I need to go.” She ran up to him as he turned to leave. “Whoa! Hang on, guy, stay a minute.” Balto wasn’t sure he liked how Rita was talking to him, but he didn’t want to be rude. He turned to face her. “Is there something you wanted?” he said. “I’ve heard about you,” she replied, grinning. “I heard you saved the town. You’re such a hero; I’ve wanted so much to meet you.” “Um…thanks,” Balto said, starting to feel embarrassed. “Anyway, I really should be moving on…” Rita cut in. “Wanna go out to eat tonight?” she said, grinning. Balto shook his head. “I’m married. Sorry to disappoint you, though.” He turned to leave again. “Wait a minute,” said Rita. By now, Balto had stopped feeling embarrassed and was getting annoyed. “Look,” he said, turning back toward Rita, but she interrupted again. “Can’t you spare a minute? Please? I really…” Balto saw desire in her eyes. “Don’t even think about it,” he said. “My wife is my only love, the love of my life, and I promised her the day after our wedding that I would never kiss anyone else.” He started to leave again, making up his mind not to stop this time, although Rita protested. “Aw, come on. It can’t hurt!” “No! I…” Before Balto could even finish his sentence, Rita flung her paws around him and, pulling him in to her, kissed him passionately.

A few yards away, Jenna was passing by on the main street, on her way home just as Balto had been. As she passed a haphazard pile of lumber, she happened to catch a look at what was behind it. She stopped, suddenly confused. She thought she had seen… “No, that couldn’t be him…could it?” She stepped back, looked through a gap in the boards…and felt her heart shatter. There was Balto, lips locked with a strange girl, who was embracing him. Unable to look any longer, Jenna wrenched away from the sight and ran for home, tears spilling from her eyes.

Balto was not returning the kiss; her sudden grip on him had come completely unexpected. After a struggle, he was able to shove the over-eager girl away. Rita sat down, smiling wide, her eyes half closed. “Oh, boy… Thank you.” Balto, understandably, was furious. “THANK YOU?” he shouted. “I did NOT say you could kiss me! Beat it!” To make sure Rita would finally take him seriously, he uttered a threatening growl, and she screamed and ran off. “Finally,” Balto thought, taking a moment to calm down before getting back on his way.

At Rosy’s house, Jenna paced back and forth, under complete torture. She wept aloud with agony, not knowing what to think or how to think it. The unearthly pain of what she had seen hung over all of it, and her mental argument, manifesting itself vocally, was a violent one. “I don’t believe it. There’s no way…there must be some misunderstanding.”
“No way? There’s no way? There’s no misunderstanding! You saw him right there, kissing her!”
“Balto wouldn’t do something like that!”
“Well, obviously he would. Trying to convince yourself otherwise is stupid!”
“How could…sob…how could he do this to me?”
“He’s a horrible man!”
“No! NO! Don’t say that! It isn’t true!”
“You know you feel that now! He’s a horrible, unloving, lying, cheating scumbag!”
Jenna stopped talking and merely cried, but now, they weren’t sad tears; they were angry tears. At least for the moment, her anger had won out.
“That dirty, unfaithful…when he gets home, I’m gonna…”
Then, like a saving angel, the voice of reason cut in.
“You don’t know for sure.”
Jenna, wiping her eyes and hiccupping, was able to put aside her emotions and think rationally. “There is a chance that it’s not what you think. You can’t think of how to hurt your husband because of something you think he did! What kind of a wife is that? Shame on you!” She began sobbing again, her anger not quenched, and walked over to a table that had a picture of Balto on it. “But I know what I saw!” she said out loud, confusion and frustration in her voice.

Suddenly, Jenna heard the dog door open. She dried her eyes and hurriedly lay down on a couch, acting like she was just relaxing. As Balto walked in, she couldn’t help but stare at him. “Hi, Jenna,” he said pleasantly. His voice sent a pang of sadness through her, simultaneously causing her anger to spike. Somehow, she was able to keep it out of her voice at first, but it started to creep in with each word. “Hi, Balto. Where have you been?” “Oh, I just went to the restaurant and came home. Other than that, nothing.” “Liar!” Jenna’s mind screamed. She averted her eyes, trying to get a handle on her rising temper. “Ah,” she said curtly. “I see.” Balto could hear in her tone that something was amiss. “Are you alright?” he asked. “I’m fine!” Jenna snapped. The venom in her voice startled Balto, but he kept it to himself and continued. “Anyway, I wanted to see if I could get some cherry juice or something for us. I knew you had wanted some, so I was just looking because I love you so much.” “Yeah, sure you do,” Jenna muttered sarcastically. Balto froze, his mouth hanging open. He couldn’t have been more stunned if Jenna had walked over and slapped him, to say nothing of hurt; he was utterly heartbroken. “Jenna…” he said softly, his voice thickening and full of pain, “…how can you say that? I love you. Don’t…don’t you know that? I thought you did. I really hope you do.” Jenna heard what Balto was saying, but at first she didn’t respond, completely dumbstruck by what she had just heard herself say. She finally turned her head to face Balto, still so shocked at herself that she didn’t even blink. When she saw Balto’s eyes, she wished she hadn’t; in them, she could see how badly she had wounded him. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. Balto tried bravely to smile and actually succeeded, if only a little. “Ah, hey…” he said, his eyes brimming and his voice cracked, “…no problem.” His emotions were on the verge of escaping his control. “Um…I’m going to go to bed,” he said, departing the room with subdued haste.

Jenna lay there for a few seconds, looking after Balto. Then, it hit her, a pain ten times worse than what she had felt earlier, as she realized she had just deeply hurt her beloved husband, who cared for her over everything in the world, deliberately. Feeling like her senses had been half dulled, she got up and walked slowly to the door of the family room. It was somewhat dark inside, being as evening was approaching and the curtains were closed, but in the light from the door, Jenna could see Balto sitting next to their bed, hanging his head, his ears drooping, weeping as quietly as possible. She was stricken so badly by the sight that it felt like a kick in the chest, going straight to her heart. A heavy tremble ran through her body, and the pain and sadness swelled beyond her control. “Balto,” she said, her voice broken. He raised his head to acknowledge her, and she began to cry openly at the sight of his pain-laden face. “Oh, Balto, I’m sorry!” she cried, hurrying to him and embracing him. He wrapped his paws around her, sobbing chokingly into her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she wept. “I didn’t mean it. I don’t know why I said that.” She tried to be strong to comfort him, but the attempt was ruined as the thought of what she had done crossed her mind again. “I’m so sorry. Oh…” She sobbed and rubbed his ears with her muzzle. “I know you love me, I know. Please forgive me, Balto! I’m sorry I hurt you! Please…forgive…” She couldn’t talk anymore; it had become too difficult. She laid her head on Balto’s shoulder, silently begging him to stop the agony. Balto raised his head, speaking through his sobs. “It’s…it’s okay, my darling,” he choked. “I forgive you. Don’t…sob…don’t worry. It’s okay.” He nuzzled her tenderly, and they held each other, offering some comfort to each other’s devastated hearts. Balto spoke softly into Jenna’s ear, having regained control over his emotions. “Hey, it’s okay. Calm down, honey. You’re alright. I forgive you.” Jenna raised her head and somehow found the courage to look into Balto’s eyes again. “Are…sob…are you mad at me?” “No, no,” Balto said comfortingly. “I’m not mad; don’t you worry about that. It’s okay. I’m not mad, and I forgive you.” He embraced her again, and her tears finally slowed. “We should get some sleep,” he said. Jenna nodded, trying to pick up the pieces of her emotions. They both lay down in the bed, and Balto licked the tears off of Jenna’s face. She was very grateful for this; it soothed her tremendously, and she took shaky breaths as the awful emotional torrents inside her gradually calmed. “I love you so much,” she whispered. “I love you too,” Balto whispered back. He kissed her, and she returned it, but…it felt so different, knowing what she had seen earlier that day. She lay down, feeling Balto’s body rest on hers, unsure of what to think about him, what to feel, or what to do, and descended into a dark world of confusion and disturbed thoughts.

Later that night, Balto awakened, feeling uncomfortable and wanting to roll over. He did so, and was about to go back to sleep when he heard a low noise coming from beside him. His ears pricked up, and he turned over again to see what he was hearing. Jenna was crying, quietly and softly, but it sounded now as if she were both in terrible pain and exhausted. He immediately thought to ask if she was alright and to comfort her, but the memory of her angry response when he had last asked that question stung him. She was facing away from him, so she didn’t see that he was awake. He decided to think of something else to say, and it didn’t take long. He leaned over her, as if protecting her from anything that could hurt her. “I love you, Jenna,” he said. She turned over to face him, and the heart-wrenching look on her face faded a little. “I love you too, Balto,” she whispered. Her tears returned. “Hold me?” she asked. Balto lay down beside her and embraced her, pulling her to him gently. She cried and cried, emotionally broken.

Balto held Jenna close, listening to her sobs, feeling her tears wet his fur. He stroked her with his paws, using short, calming movements. Eventually, her sobs stopped, and he saw that she was finally asleep. He laid her head on a cushion and, still cuddling her protectively, went to sleep himself.

The next morning, Balto woke up to find Jenna already awake, but still in bed, embracing him. “Hi,” she said weakly. Balto stretched and raised his head. “Hi. How are you doing?” “A little better,” Jenna said, sighing. “Did you sleep well?” asked Balto. “No, not at all.” Balto nuzzled her. “I’m sorry, Jenna. Anything I can do for you?” “I think I’ll be okay.” They stood up, and Jenna closed her eyes and stretched feebly, trying to alleviate the soreness that had built up from a long night with little relaxation. She gave up shortly and turned toward Balto. “By the way, I didn’t say thank you for what you did for me last night, so I’d like to thank you now.” “No worries. I love you.” “I love you, too. I’m glad you were there for me.” Emotion flooded her voice. “I really needed you. Thank you so much.” They embraced, and Jenna kissed him lovingly. “Remember,” said Balto, “if something’s upsetting you, feel free to talk to me about it, okay?” Jenna looked down. “Um…alright.” “So what do you want to do today?” Jenna shook her head. “Nothing. I don’t…really feel up to going out today.” Balto nodded. “Seeing as how you got so little sleep, I don’t blame you. I have an idea; I’ll just run to the restaurant right quick and…” Jenna’s mind was suddenly flooded with ideas of who Balto might end up with if he went out. “I’m going with you!” she cut in. Balto looked at her quizzically. “But, I thought you just said…never mind. Let’s go.” “What,” said Jenna, “you want me to stay? You don’t want to be with me?” Balto shook his head. “No, no. That isn’t how I meant it.” Jenna turned her back to him, and he stood there, dumbfounded. “Jenna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” “It’s okay,” Jenna said coldly. “Go on. Go; I’ll just sit here at home.” Balto couldn’t figure out why she was behaving this way. “Please, honey, don’t give me the cold shoulder like this.” He leaned forward to kiss her ears, but she moved away from him. She heard him sigh dejectedly. “Alright, I’ll stay home. Are you happy? I mean, that’s what I want.” Jenna’s ears drooped as a pang of guilt hit her like a slap in the face. She was appalled that she could be so cruel while he continued to be so decent. Balto kept speaking. “It’s just, I thought you wanted me to pick up some juice.” Jenna turned around slowly. “Look, um, Balto…I’m sorry. I…I’m in a bad mood and I’m taking it out on you. I know it’s not fair, and I’m sorry.” Her lower lip began quivering. “Hold on, now,” said Balto, “don’t cry again. It won’t help you.” Jenna nodded. “You’re right,” she said, swallowing her emotions. “There.” Balto smiled. “Do you want juice?” he asked, sharing a kiss with her. She nodded. “I’ll hurry home,” he said, walking out the door. Jenna called goodbye after him and walked back into the house, laying down in the bed and hanging her head, wondering how she would ever get out of this nightmare.

Every minute Balto was gone made Jenna more irate and more suspicious. He actually came home very quickly, but she criticized him angrily for being out so long. When she did so, he set the juice down and went into another part of the house, trying to hide his emotions from her. She had ignored thoughts of how much she was hurting his feelings until she had gone back to the family room, where her sad side crept up again from knowing what she was doing to him. Sitting there, feeling absolutely terrible, she felt Balto’s paws touch her back as he prepared to give her a massage. He tried to kiss her. “Not now, Balto,” she said. She really didn’t feel like it, and didn’t say it in a bad way, but she fully expected Balto to become angry with her, considering that she had been so rude earlier. However, he simply nodded and sat down on a chair. They were silent for a long time, until Balto attempted to break the ice. “Um, Jenna?” he said. She looked over at him, and he went on. “Please, please don’t get angry at me about this. I’m not trying to bother you, and I’m not just trying to get into your head and find out everything that goes on there. I’m concerned about you. I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to hurt.” Jenna determined not to become angry and walked over to him. “What did you want to ask?” “I just…think something’s wrong. Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t, I don’t know. All I know is, you’ve been very upset yesterday and today and I don’t know what’s causing it. I want to help you.” She looked down, trying hard to make herself tell him, knowing that it was probably the only way out, but fear rose up and stopped her; fear that he would become angry, fear that he would be insulted…fear that the answer would be a confession. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to help you,” Balto said, “but you have to let me in. Please?” The emotions and thoughts crashing around inside her became too strong for Jenna. “Love, I…I can’t, I…” She leaned forward into Balto’s waiting embrace, listening to his sad voice comforting her.

The rest of the day passed slowly and painfully. Jenna was not only still haunted by what she had seen, but being unable to think about anything else was becoming dreadfully tedious. She tried to keep unpleasant thoughts about Balto out of her head, with varying degrees of success that decreased severely as the day went on. She was now at least able to keep her tone civil when she spoke to her husband, but her anger continued to build behind the shutters of her face and voice. She was mentally, physically, and emotionally drained, enduring constant pain from thinking of what she had seen and what she had done to Balto, and trapped in a maze of dead-end thought trying to figure a way through it all. That evening, she was trying to read, irritated by the incessant distraction of her thoughts, wishing her mind would slow down for just a moment. Balto entered the room, a loving look on his face. Jenna clearly saw it, but held back by her anger, she turned again to the book instead of acknowledging him. He noticed, but it failed to staunch his warmth; he walked up to Jenna and caressed her, kissing her head. “Hey, baby, want to break open the juice and have some fun?” he asked. Jenna shook her head. “No, not tonight.” “Really?” Balto said, surprised. There was nothing ill in his intent here; he was merely thinking of the fact that this was the reason he had been out to get juice earlier that day. Besides, that aside, Jenna was typically rather open to intimacy. Now, however, his unwitting reply caused a spark. “Yes, really!” Jenna snarled, and Balto backed away. “Whoa, hey, calm down. I’m sorry. You don’t want to, that’s perfectly okay with me, alright? It’s just…” Jenna cut in, her voice raised to a shout. “Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to do that all the time, or are you too inconsiderate?!?” Balto was caught off guard by her unwarranted anger. “Jenna, are you sure you’re alright? You don’t really seem like it.” “Shut up! I’m fine! Stop patronizing me!” Balto was obviously being hurt, but Jenna was beyond caring at the moment; she kept shouting, her voice volume increasing. “And you know what, even if there was something wrong with me, it would probably be because you keep pestering me about it all the time!” She finally stopped, the rage that twisted her face dissolving as she realized what she was doing, and she saw Balto, standing in front of her, cut to the heart. “I…I understand,” he said, his voice sounding about as hurt as it possibly could. “I guess you want to be alone for a bit.” He walked to the door, and Jenna stood there frozen, her mouth open slightly, hardly believing what she had just done, her words ringing slowly in her head. Balto paused at the door and turned around, on the verge of tears. “I’ll be back soon, I promise. Goodbye, Jenna.” He was barely able to keep himself together, but he managed to get a few words out. “I love you.” He blew her a quick kiss, a lone tear managing to escape his eye, then went out the dog door. Jenna stood for a moment, and then, just like the previous day, it hit her like an avalanche: the pain, the horrible agony from hurting him, now a hundred times worse. She collapsed, all of her anger now directed at herself, covering her face with her paws, hot tears pouring from her eyes as she sobbed.

Balto walked slowly down the street, bewildered, tears running down his cheeks. No effort he put forth enabled him to figure out anything about the situation. What was going on? Why was Jenna upset? Why was he the 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 wrapping the blanket around her. “I love you, Jenna.”

Balto awakened with a start; there had been some sort of noise. He didn’t have to wonder what it was, because it suddenly came again. “Balto!” It was Jenna; she had just called his name loudly. He was going to acknowledge her, but he noticed she wasn’t facing him. When he leaned over to look at her, he saw that her eyes were closed; she was dreaming, and it was obviously not pleasant. “Please!” she cried. “Don’t leave me!” She tossed and turned, breathing rapidly, her voice terrified and agonized. “Balto, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please don’t go! I love you! Stay with me, please! Oh, please, no! Balto!” Deciding to try to help Jenna, Balto leaned up toward her head so he could speak to her. “I’m not going to leave you,” he said softly into her ear, caressing her cheek and head. She moaned and squirmed. “Please don’t leave me!” she begged. “I won’t,” he said. “I promise. I’m not going.” Jenna quieted a little. “Stay, please…don’t go…” “I’m staying. I promise.” He continued stroking her, and she soon calmed. “I love you,” he whispered, kissing her muzzle. She smiled a little, and her breathing slowed. “…Love…love you too,” she said quietly, falling out of her dream and back into peaceful sleep. Balto nuzzled her and watched her for a few minutes, making sure she was alright before going back to sleep.

Dawn came all too soon, and the light pouring in the windows awakened Jenna. “Oh, no…” she groaned, so tired she was barely able to speak. Balto, who was still asleep, woke up suddenly at the sound of her voice. He embraced her, trying to keep the sun out of her face. “Go ahead and go back to sleep, honey,” he said. Jenna sighed. “There’s no way I’ll be able to get back to sleep, sweetheart. I might as well get out of bed.” She stood, trying to stretch her stiff muscles but getting little relief from it. Leaning against a wall, she shook some of the cobwebs out of her head and sighed again. Balto, feeling sorry for her, got out of bed, walking over and nuzzling her. “Did you sleep better after you fell asleep last night?” “Yes, but I had a nightmare.” “I know. I helped you calm down.” Jenna’s face brightened somewhat. “I thought I heard your voice. I’m glad you talked to me.” She closed her eyes, and it seemed to Balto that she was still miserable. He thought for a moment. “Jenna, I’ve got an idea to help you cheer up.” Jenna didn’t see any point in asking Balto what made him think she was down; she knew how obvious her suffering must have been. “What did you have in mind?” “I thought we might go to the restaurant for breakfast, maybe dance, and take a walk on the beach afterwards. You know, just stuff to help you relax. Provided you feel up to going out, obviously. How does that sound?” She nodded. “It sounds great. I’ll be really glad to get out.” They both headed out the door and onto the crowded street, chatting idly on their way to the restaurant. During one instance where Balto had finished speaking, Jenna nuzzled his shoulder affectionately. “Thank you, Balto,” she said, tired sadness mingling with the gratitude in her voice. “For what?” “Without you, I couldn’t have made it through last night. Thank you for being there for me.” They kissed, and Balto smiled. “It was nothing, Jenna,” he said gently. “I’m glad I could help you.”

When they reached the restaurant, Balto became caught up in a short conversation with a sled dog. Jenna knew he would be finished soon, so she didn’t mind waiting. As she glanced at the street, something caught her eye, and she slowly turned her head in its direction to affirm that she had indeed seen who it was. Yes, that was her. The girl who she had seen sharing a kiss with Balto was standing several yards away, talking and laughing. So now, here she was, here was Balto, and here was the girl. A horrible choice faced her: what would she do? On one hand, she could simply be silent, have her day out with Balto, and go home, but she didn’t think she could stand the pain much longer. On the other hand, she could confront Balto with what she had seen, but the thought of his answer being that he had done it with amorous intentions almost made her gasp in fear. She thought back and forth for a few seconds, completely unsure of what to do, until a thought crossed her mind: if not now, then when? An opportunity presented itself as Balto wrapped up his conversation. She swallowed hard, and slowly turned towards Balto, her eyes still on the girl. “Balto?” she said slowly, fear and uncertainty in her voice. “Yeah?” he said. She nodded hesitantly at the girl, making a desperate bid to keep the emotion out of her voice. “Who is that?” “Who?” Balto said, having no idea of who Jenna was referring to. “Her,” Jenna said, gesturing toward the girl. Balto’s relatively happy look faltered. “Oh,” he said, disdain in his voice. “That’s Rita. She’s new in town.” Jenna bit her lip, bracing herself for the worst news as she prepared to ask Balto more questions, but she didn’t get a chance; he continued talking. “I know she looks like a nice dog, but she’s actually…well, kind of annoying.” This caught Jenna off guard; she hadn’t expected a response like this. “How’s that?” she asked, becoming curious. “Well, I ran into her while I was going to get some juice the day before yesterday. She introduced herself and all that, and I went to leave, but she didn’t let me. She wanted to take me out to dinner, and I told her I was married, but that didn’t turn her off. It’s like she instantly fell in love with me or something. You know what she did? I see this look in her eye like she’s going to make a move, so I tell her not to kiss me, and all of a sudden she just grabs me and does it! I couldn’t believe it! I told her you were the love of my life and the only one in the world for me, but it didn’t convince her. I had to practically threaten her to get her to leave. I guess some dogs are just…”

“Forgive me,” Jenna gasped, her eyes welling up. She lowered her head and began sobbing hard. “Jenna?” Balto said, quite worried. “Jenna, come here, honey,” he said, leading her into a side alley. “Jenna, what’s wrong? You can’t tell me it’s nothing; there’s something wrong.” Jenna looked up and opened her mouth to speak, but then looked down again and continued crying, too ashamed to look in Balto’s eyes. He gently lifted her chin with his paw, meeting her eyes. “Please, Jenna. What’s wrong?” Jenna was finally able to speak, somehow finding the ability to force words out amidst the storm of her emotions. “I…” she wept, “I saw…her kissing you. I thought you were sharing it.” Balto closed his eyes and sighed as realization hit him, the explanation behind the events of the last couple of days appearing to him. Jenna continued, her voice becoming more and more pained. “And I…I got so angry and…” “Why didn’t you tell me?” Balto asked in disbelief. “I was afraid!” Jenna cried. “I was so scared! I was scared that you’d get mad, that you’d think I was prying, but…but I was also scared of what the answer might have been!” Balto looked into her eyes with sympathy. “Jenna, I promised I would always be faithful to you. I promised never to do something like that.” “I…I know; that was part of what made it so…oh, Balto, it hurt so badly! Balto, I’m sorry! I was so cruel to you when all the time you hadn’t done anything! I know I hurt you! I’m so sorry!” Balto embraced her, holding her gently as she sobbed hysterically at the top of her lungs, talking to her with a forgiving, gentle voice that harbored no anger, only compassion and love. “I forgive you, Jenna. It’s okay.” She tried to stop herself, and Balto spoke softly. “No, Jenna. Let it out. It’s okay; just let it out.” She did so, letting all the fear, all the anger, all the grief, and all the pain pour from her heart like a bitter flood. Balto held her as she sobbed, rocking her back and forth. “It’s okay, Jenna. You’re alright. It’s gonna be okay.” He let her cry for several minutes, one paw around her body, the other holding her head to his shoulder. “Shhh,” he said. “I’m here. It’s okay, baby. I forgive you.” After another minute or two, Jenna’s heart stopped feeling so burdened, and she was able to stop crying. Balto pulled back, and even though Jenna’s face was covered with tears, he thought she looked far better now than she had over the past days. He took one of her paws. “Hear me now, Jenna,” he said very seriously. “I promise to always be faithful to you. You will never, ever have to worry about that. Ever. Do you believe me?” Jenna nodded. “Yes. I believe you. I’d like to make the same promise.” Balto nodded. “There. We won’t even have to think about it.” “Thank you for being so sweet and understanding,” said Jenna. “No problem,” Balto replied. “Someday, you’ll have to be sweet and understanding with me. We all make mistakes, Jenna, and that’s all this was: a big mistake, and it wasn’t your fault.” He smiled comfortingly. “Here, let’s dry those teary eyes…” He wiped the tears away, then took her face in his paws. “Now, what do you say we go home, eat dinner, get cozy in front of the fire, fall asleep holding each other, and forget all about this?” Jenna smiled with relief and nodded. “I’d love to.” They shared a wonderful kiss, and headed off for home.

After eating dinner, Balto took Jenna to bed, hoping that a massage could relieve the physical pain her stress had brought. She lay on the piled-up cushions with her eyes closed, listening to Balto talking. “You know, I should have told you about Rita. I just didn’t think anything of it, seeing as how I wasn’t really doing anything.” “Believe me, love, I was the one who should have told you about what I saw; it could have all been cleared up in the first hour if I had. If I ever see something like that again, I don’t think I’ll wait to talk with you about it.” “That’s fine with me; anything to not have to see this happen to you again.” “By the way, thank you so much for not being angry with me. The things I said…” “Don’t mind what you said, Jenna; I don’t blame you.” “I know, but I really deserved for you to hate me. It was sweet of you not to.” “I love you, babe.” Jenna smiled. “I love you, too.” She sighed as Balto’s paws relaxed her muscles. “Mmmm…” “You like that?” “Mm-hmm.” Eventually, she told Balto the pain was gone, and he kissed her ears and lay down beside her. “Say, Balto,” she said, “did you want to go get that juice?” Balto smiled. “I think you might want to save that for tomorrow; you look exhausted.” “But Balto, you’ve been wanting…” “It’s not as important to me as how you feel. Here now,” he said, gently pulling her head to his chest. She was about to protest again, but as she lay there with his paws around her, the feeling of just how tired she was washed over her body, and her eyes began drooping almost immediately. “Thank you,” she sighed, and Balto nuzzled her. “Just go ahead and sleep, Jenna.” After a few moments, Jenna curled up and snuggled against Balto. “There we go,” Balto said softly, leaning his head down to whisper in Jenna’s ear. “If you need anything at all tonight, you wake me up, okay?” “Okay,” Jenna whispered, falling quickly into slumber. “Sweet dreams,” Balto whispered, watching her finally drift off before resting his head on hers and going to sleep himself.

Balto woke up first in the morning to see Jenna sleeping peacefully. He drew a paw over her cheek. “My beautiful angel,” he whispered. “As long as you sleep I won’t leave.” He laid his head back down, and a few minutes later, Jenna woke up. “Morning,” Balto said. “Hi, my love,” Jenna replied. “How are you feeling?” asked Balto. Jenna smiled. “Better. Much better.” “Thank goodness,” said Balto; he was just as relieved as Jenna that the ordeal was over. “That massage was something else, Balto,” Jenna said. “I feel great.” They kissed and held each other. “So…” Balto said, “what do you want to do this morning?” Jenna nuzzled him. “I want to just lie here with you holding me, knowing that we’ll love each other forever.” Balto smiled. “Good plan, Jenna.”