When Vanessa saw him, she dropped to her knees and opened her arms.
“Come here, my beautiful boy.”
Duke crossed the room in three enormous steps and pressed his head against her chest.
Vanessa buried her face in his fur.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” she whispered.
Duke licked her cheek.
She laughed through her tears.
“You were trying to tell me, weren’t you?”
He rested his head in her lap.
For a long time, neither of them moved.
Mrs. Henderson visited that afternoon with a homemade meal and a story about how Duke had frightened half the neighborhood.
Vanessa listened, smiling.
Then her expression became serious.
“If you hadn’t called for help, I might not be here.”
Mrs. Henderson took her hand.
“You don’t have to thank me. I only did what anyone should do.”
“No,” Vanessa replied softly. “You noticed something was wrong, and you didn’t ignore it.”
