Kira's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

The walker slid away and Kira went down. Her chest hit the floor and the air rushed out of her. For a moment she could not breathe. Then it came back in a wail. She rolled onto her bottom and cried, her face red, her fists shaking. Standing was the last thing she wanted now. "Oh, sweet girl." Her mother crossed the floor fast and scooped her up. She pressed Kira against her purple shirt and swayed. "You're all right. You're all right." Kira kept crying. The fall still stung. She squeezed her eyes shut and would not look at the room, the floor, or the walker lying on its side. Her mother rocked her and hummed, but the cry did not stop. The old dog watched from the rug. He rose on his stiff legs. He crossed the floor slow and heavy and stopped beside them. He leaned his big head against Kira's dangling foot. His warm nose touched her toes. Kira felt it. She opened her wet eyes. The dog looked up at her, calm, patient, his gray muzzle steady. He pushed his head against her foot again, gentle. Kira hiccuped. Her crying slowed. She reached down and grabbed a fistful of his thick fur, the way she always did. "There he is," her mother said softly. "He came to check on you." Kira held the fur and breathed. The sting faded. Her chin stopped wrinkling. She patted the dog's head, once, twice, and a small laugh broke through the last of the tears. The dog's tail thumped the floor. Her mother set her down beside him. Kira did not fuss now. She kept one hand buried in his fur and looked across the room. Then she looked up at her mother, who had backed away and knelt again with both arms open. Kira wanted to try. The fear was gone. She pulled herself up against the dog's warm side until her feet found the wood. She was standing again, calm, ready. But she wanted to go now, and the dog would not walk with her. He stood still as a post. When Kira leaned toward her mother, his fur stayed put, and her feet did not. She let go with one hand and reached into the empty air. Her mother's open arms were still too far to touch.