Chapter 9
Author's Note: A song in this chapter is Remind Me by Brad Paisley featuring Carrie Underwood. As well for Luke Bryan's To The Moon and Back
Days after being discharged from the hospital, I knew a new family was forming since I fist arrived in Nome. Finally, it came true as Balto welcomed me into his family. Nowadays, my adopted father, his son and my new half-brother Kodi, and myself have spent our father and sons bonding by racing on the shore and we started to watch sun sink from the horizon.
"Well... I guess I'll have to keep myself in shape if I going to win." I joked and three of us laugh.
"Keep trying and I'll still beat you until you win." Kodi challenged.
Three of us chuckled. Balto felt a bit pain in his chest. Kodi and I stopped.
"Dad, are you okay?" Kodi asked. Balto was trying to catch his breath.
"Dad?" I asked.
He took some breaths. "I almost kind of wish you could stop calling me 'dad' Bret."
I chuckled. I petted his back.
"My younger days are already over." he added.
I became concerned that his health might fail him one day. "Did you write to what's her name?"
"Bella." I answered.
"That's her name." he added.
"I did... it's been a few days since she wrote me back." I answered.
"You got a girlfriend?" Kodi teased.
"Kodi." Balto said.
"I had. I'm trying to reach back and try to reconcile. What about you and 'Dusty' of yours?" I comeback with tease.
"Bret." Balto said. I nodded with a chuckled.
"We're going on well and expecting pups soon." he added.
"Congrats." I congratulated.
Balto chuckled. I turned my head back to him. "Ready to have another grandchildren?"
"Wouldn't miss it." he said.
Footsteps were coming towards our direction from the plank. We turned to see a young woman. I didn't recognize her face until I remembered.
"Bella."
"Hello Bret." she said.
I stood up and walked towards her and I couldn't figure out words to say after this surprise.
"Still nervous since we first met?" she joked.
"You could say." I added.
Balto cleared his throat to get my attention and lifted his paw towards my shirt.
"Oh..." I reached for my shirt pocket. "I got your letter saying you would arrive at one point."
Kodi placed his paw on his muzzle and Balto just chuckled.
"Yeah... I got yours too." she added.
"Bella..." I was trying to get the words I wanted to say as her smile was removed.
"I'm sorry I lied to you about having a illness that I didn't tell you and making you walk away." I apologized. She placed her hand on her left arm.
"I was hoping you could forgive after I had treated you." I added.
She got out of her discomfort placed her hand on my hand. "I forgive you."
I smiled.
"Bret and I'm sorry too." she apologized.
"What you have to be sorry for?" I asked. "You didn't do anything wrong."
She was surprised when I said that like I didn't know what she did.
"I was wanting to apologized that I was harsh." she said.
"You didn't know... I should've told you about it sooner not when it's too late." I said.
She smiled and we both hugged each other.
"So... why is there two dogs watching us?" she asked.
I let go and looked back. "Let's say this is my new adopted family. Remember I told I was a orphan."
She nodded.
"Well let's say I was welcomed to a family at a later time in life." I stated.
Balto slowly walked towards us. She became spooked.
"Bella this is my newly adopted father, Balto." I introduced.
She slowly reached for his head and she started to pet him. His tail wag for delight like any other dog would.
"You're the dog that saved Nome seven years ago!" she recalled.
He nodded. "I think it is wonderful to have a hero as a adopted father."
Balto barked. She chuckled. He turned towards Kodi and immediately Kodi walked towards us.
"And that's my adopted brother Kodi, who gets carried away." I introduced with a joke.
Kodi barked from the remark. Bella and I laughed.
"Well... you look like you have a happy family." she said.
I smiled back.
"I was wondering if you're not to busy, we could find a place tonight and star gazed. If you're interested." I offered.
She was thinking and replied back. "I never been to Nome before, I kind of like to see how it is at night."
We both smiled and decided when the sun is almost down, we'll make journey to find a spot to watch some stars.
Later towards the evening, Balto was leading us to a good spot, where he takes Jenna at nights to watch the stars. Bella and I were following him and we didn't talk much since our first date.
"It looks like your father knows where he's going." she said.
"He's taking us to the spot where he takes his mate and my mother to stargaze at night back then." I said.
I even noticed she was carrying something with her.
"What is that?" I asked.
"You'll know when we get there." she answered.
When we got to the near point the cool summer breeze was blowing towards us. We stopped to see the stars were bright. We sat down started to watch.
"Thanks dad." I thanked Balto.
He lightly barked and gave us some space and watched us from a further distance. Bella became in love the stars that shone in Nome, unlike the stars back in Anchorage.
"They're so beautiful." she complemented.
I agree. Seconds later we saw a colorful lights started to form and danced around the skies.
"The Aurora Borealis." she said.
She was amazed. "The last time I saw them I was in Anchorage in a camping trip, I missed seeing them so much. Have you been seeing them?" she asked.
"Sometimes I do, but saw them more since I first arrived at Nome." I recalled.
She grabbed out a case and opened it. She than pulled out a guitar. "Remember the old days?"
"I do very much."
"What happened to your banjo?" she asked.
"I lost it in a fishing accident." I replied.
I told what had happened. She listened, as well for the stories I also told her what had happened after the fishing accident and how I met Balto. Other than not telling her when I turned into a wolfdog. I obviously told her I than started to rethink and reconciled my past altogether. She became fascinated from the story I told.
"I missed you so much." I told her.
"I missed you too." she said back. She than started to strum the guitar. "Mind if you play a song?"
I was much obliged to strum her guitar and sang her a song.
We didn't care if people stared
We'd make out in a crowd somewhere
Somebody'd tell us to get a room
It's hard to believe that was me and you
Now we keep saying that we're OK
But I don't want to settle for good not great
I miss the way that it felt back then
I wanna feel that way again
Been so long that you'd forget
The way I used to kiss your neck
Remind me, remind me (Bella joined in)
So on fire, so in love
Way back when we couldn't get enough
Remind me, remind me
Remember the airport dropping me off
We were kissing goodbye and we couldn't stop
I felt bad cause you missed your flight
But that meant we had one more night
Do you remember how it used to be
We'd turn out the lights and didn't just sleep
Remind me baby remind me
Oh so on fire so in love
That look in your eyes that I miss so much
Remind me, baby remind me
I wanna feel that way
Yeah I wanna hold you close
Oh if you still love me
Don't just assume I know
Oh baby remind me, remind me
Do you remember the way it felt?
You mean back when we couldn't control ourselves
Remind me, yeah remind me
All those things that you used to do
That made me fall in love with you
Remind me, oh baby remind me
Yeah you'd wake up in my old t-shirt
All those mornings I was late for work
Remind me, oh baby remind me yeah
Oh baby remind me baby remind me
Yeah you'd wake up in my old t-shirt
Oh, baby remind me
After strumming the guitar, we felt that we got back our love that God had made a amazing and beautiful plan for us. Bella and I had moment we shared a kiss underneath the colorful lights, the stars, and the full moon.
We saw the moon was shining brightly than the stars and I decided to strum one more song on the guitar.
Through the dirt and the gravel
Through the years and the miles
Every road that you traveled
Through the tears and the smiles
Through the clear and the muddy
Through the thick and thin
The quiet nights, the howling wind
Through the good and the ugly
The blue and the black
To the ends of the Earth
To the moon and back
Through all of the words
The mean and the kind
Through the strings that unravel
And the ties that bind
From the crazy and the different
To the more of the same
From the coast is clear
To a hurricane
Yeah, I'll be right beside you
On a roll or off the tracks
To the ends of the Earth
To the moon and back
To the moon and back
Through the bitter and the sweet
The cold and the fire
Lonely cotton sheets
And the burning desire
Until our song is over
Til the stars all fade to black
I'm gonna love you
To the ends of the Earth
To the moon and back
Yeah, I'm gonna love you
All the way to the moon and back
After singing the last notes and strumming the last notes. We heard a howl and turned to see Balto was howling and Jenna was beside him nuzzling him. We both smiled back at them and to each other.
As the weeks turned to months Bella and I decided to tie the knot. Soon after I was being let go from the Postal Office, I decided to go back to the Anchorage home. Before we left, I knew that I would never see my family again, but trying to start anew. As a little bird flies from it's nest, the little bird become husband to his wife.
