Page 78 of Here Comes Santa Paws

A yawn hit me that was so big I worried it would pull a muscle in my jaw.

“You need sleep. Then we’ll talk?”

I nodded. “I’ll sleep later. I want to be there for Carol.”

“Let’s go.” He stood and held out his hand.

I let him pull me up and toward his guest bedroom. “Wait. My luggage.” I’d left my suitcase on the walkway in front of his place.

“I’ll get it. Go see her.” He patted my back and moved toward his front door as I reached the guest room. “Doggos, want to go outside?” The dogs chased after him.

I slowly turned the knob and eased into the room. Carol’s back was to me as she lay in a box with tall sides, panting and shivering. It must be something special for dogs giving birth. I’d ask Elias about it later.

“Hey, girl. How are you doing?”

She turned her head to look over her shoulder and whined when she saw me. My heart broke into a thousand pieces. I shouldn’t have left.At least you came back.

I lowered myself to the floor and sat on the pile of blankets Elias must’ve been using as a bed. “I’m sorry I left.” She pressed her nose into my palm and gave it a quick lick before she began panting again.

I rubbed her back.

Elias joined a few minutes later and settled beside me with another cup of coffee and water.

“We’re both here now. All we can do is wait until the first puppy comes.”

“We just wait now?” There had to be something more we could do.

“We wait, but it should be soon.” Elias took my hand and intertwined our fingers. He dropped his head on my shoulder, and I tucked a blanket over our laps.

It was going to be a long day after a long day and night, but with Elias next to me, I knew we’d be okay.

A short while later, clear fluid came out of Carol, which Elias said signaled the first puppy would come shortly. After twenty minutes, Carol pushed out the first puppy. It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing I’d ever seen.

By the early afternoon, Elias and I stood with our arms around each other’s waists, dead on our feet but happily watching Carol clean her five squirming puppies.

It had been the wildest day of my life. I learned about discharge, placentas, and umbilical cords, and would’ve called the vet a hundred times if Elias hadn’t been there to explain the process in his soothing tone.

“She did amazing.” My voice broke, and Elias squeezed me closer to his side.

“She really did. It’s incredible to watch, isn’t it?” Elias’s voice was full of pride.

My gut had that feeling again. I’d made the right choice.

“It was. And disgusting, but, you know, in a ‘wow, the wonders of the universe’ sort of way.”

Elias tilted his head back and laughed. Carol glared at us.

“I suppose we should give her some space to do her thing now that she’s done giving birth.”

I nodded. “Let’s go have that talk.” The pot of coffee we’d shared still had a bit more juice left in my system, and I knew I’d sleep better with the conversation behind us.

“And cuddle?”

I chuckled. “And cuddle.”

Elias adjusted the camera so it pointed at the nesting area he’d made for Carol.

I followed Elias to his bedroom. We stripped, then gravitated to opposite sides of the bed like it was an old routine—pulling back the blankets and climbing in. I lay on my back and opened my arm for Elias to snuggle in.

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