He'd been pacing all day. It's what he did when he was nervous or upset. And now he was both. Connie had been gone all day. Suppose she found a Who family which wanted to take her in? Suppose she said yes? Suppose he'd never see her again? So many possibilities ran through his head the longer Connie stayed in Whoville, each passing hour bringing on more desperate and improbable attempts of explanation.
The sudden shriek of laughter caused the Grinch to jump wildly and spin to face the garbage dump. He was barely able to make out a figure falling from the chute and landing in the massive pile of trash. So she had returned. No Who family had taken her in, taken her away from him.
He hadn't realized before today just how much this girl had come to mean to him. She was suddenly his whole world. His life contained in her small form. How this had happened he had no idea but he couldn't question it now. It was done.
"And what took you so long?" the Grinch asked, placing his hands on his hips and scowling down at the girl as she approached.
"Oh, I had a run-in with the Mayor." Connie said this nonchalantly, bending down to pet Max, who had run up to her upon her arrival, tail wagging madly.
"Did you? What did he have to say?" the Grinch asked.
"He was not pleased that I was staying with you." Connie glanced up at him, a smile in her eyes. The Grinch noticed that this fact pleased her greatly. Affection for this child welled up within him but he controlled his emotions.
"I suppose not. Did he offer to do anything to help you out of your unbearable situation?"
"Didn't give him the chance. I don't like him. Or the Who's for that matter. They..." Connie didn't finish as she was suddenly scooped up into a tight hug. Finally, someone understood him and justified his emotions. Just as soon as the hug had happened, it was over, the Grinch suddenly embarrassed as he backed away, looking at anything but her.
"I'm getting inside before my feet freeze off completely," the Grinch said, practically bolting for the door to his cave. How could he have done something so stupid? Hugging her? What had he been thinking?
But he hadn't. He was just so relived that someone else felt as he did that he couldn't help himself.
What would happen now?