Epilogue

Five months later

C alixte straightened to his full height after strapping the body harness on the last of 9 dogs. As always, Mars had been the hardest to keep still while Pluto, a pure Mama's boy, had been the easiest. He held three dogs each in one hand, and only after making sure he had a good grip on all six did he finally allow them to run out of the kennels.

His wife, along with Pluto, Venus, and Saturn, were already waiting for them in the garden, and the look on her face as she watched him nearly being dragged by his energetic pack of six was extremely easy to read.

"Let me guess," he said right away.

Eden blinked at him. "Guess what?"

"What you've just thanked God for."

" Oh ." A sheepish smile touched her lips. "Was I that obvious?"

" Non, mon ange . You're just that nice ."

"I cursed a lot before."

"Only nice people would feel guilty of that."

"Oh, Calixte." She looked at him helplessly. "I'm just really grateful---"

"Because you still think our life is something you don't deserve, and you just can't understand why God is being so good to you."

The words had his wife gasping, choking, and laughing at the same time. "You took the words right out of my mouth! Verbatim! "

"I know. And that's your answer, by the way. It's because you think you don't deserve it that you're blessed."

And with that one last word, his wife's expression had changed, and she was now looking at him like he was God's newest miracle.

"Let me guess," Calixte said again, but as expected, the words this time had Eden hurriedly shaking her head.

"Please don't---"

"I've made your heart race, and all because of my newly improved vocabulary."

Another laugh escaped her. " Oh, Calixte ."

Their dogs started barking at that point, and both of them laughed this time since they knew it was their pack's way of saying that they had had enough of their flirting, and that it was time to run.

And so run they did, with Eden and her trio leading the way while Calixte and his six took up the rear.

"Be careful," he called out to her as they began climbing a rocky but slightly inclined trail that was still within their property.

His wife glanced at him over her shoulder, and it was his turn to feel his heart race at the smile she flashed his way.

"Can you just imagine how it would be a few years from now?"

He saw her touch her rounded belly as she spoke, and his chest tightened.

Was it really just months ago when his future appeared to him as an endless sea of gray?

And yet now...

He didn't even have to close his eyes to imagine what it would be like, to run every day with their dogs, and eventually, their twin boys.

"Calixte?"

He glanced at her. "What is it?"

She gave him another smile that had his heart aching with love. "I just want to say...I love you."

Hearing her say the words still caught him off guard, and Calixte promptly tripped over his own feet.

The End

Isaiah 11:6

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.