“We were in a boat accident.”
Caro found it suddenly very hard to swallow. “We?”
He closed his eyes, then jerked his head downward. “My wife and son, and I.”
“What happened?”
“We were on vacation, taking the boat out. Some kids lost control of their boat and rammed us. They had been hot-dogging, just being kids, you know.”
“Your wife and son?”
“They didn’t make it.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He nodded in acknowledgement. “I hit my head on something, don’t really know what. When I woke in the hospital, everything was dark. It stayed that way until about six months ago.”
“What happened then?”
“Lily.”
“Lily?”
His lips twisted into a smile. Not a happy one, but a smile none-the-less. “My sister decided that I needed a companion and tricked me into taking her. She told me that she was the runt of the litter and if no one took her, she would be sent to the pound.”
“She didn’t?”
“Oh, yes she did. My sister’s ruthless when she want to be, and she’d decided that it was time for me to face the living.”
“So what did you do?”
The smile this time was a true one, reflected in the clear blue of his eyes. “I have Lily don’t I? Or, perhaps, she has me.”
She joined his laughter. “Oh, the latter, I’m sure. Seems like she has you exactly where she wants you.”
“Well, she’s entitled. When she first arrived, I wasn’t very happy about it. I mean, I couldn’t see, so how could I take care of a puppy. But, Kathleen, that’s my sister, wouldn’t take no for an answer. Truthfully, once she put Lily in my arms, I was a goner. She put her paws on my shoulders and reached up to touch her nose to mine and something inside me just melted.”
She smiled with him, but said nothing.
“The first six months were hard. I was trying to adapt, to take care of myself, then I had the responsibility for another being.”
When he didn’t say continue, she prompted him. “Well, what did you do?”
“Oh, sorry. I guess I was lost in darkness again.” He shook his head, straightened his shoulders, and went on with the story. “Well, I had to accept help and stop wallowing which is what my sister intended. I couldn’t very well let something happen to Lily because I couldn’t take care of her. So, my sister hired a person to help me. Strangely enough, about three months after I did that, my sight began to return. It was just a lightening of the darkness at first. Then flashes, and then one day, I could see. It was hazy, but as the doctor said, that was to be expected since it had been nearly two years since my eyes had worked.”
“What did you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“What was the first thing you did once you could see again? Did you read a book, go to the movies, meet with your sister?”
“Oh, okay. No, none of that.” He just smiled and looked down at Lily.
“Well, what was it?”
“I went outside and let Lily show me around the backyard.”
“Ohhhhhhhhhhh.” She clasped her hands over her heart and looked down at Lily as well, then said, “Well, Lily, what did you do?”
Lily cocked her head to one side, seemed to think about it, then grumbled out her answer. The both laughed at the dog who seemed to be trying to speak to the humans.
Caro turned back to Kieren and asked, “How long until it was back to normal?”
“My vision, or my life?” he laughed. “’Cause with Lily, I’m certain my life will never be normal again.” Lily grinned and slurped a kiss across his hand. “My vision’s still a little wonky at times. I’m very light sensitive, hence the sunglasses at dawn. I have to stay out of the full sun yet, but the doctor says that will probably change with the seasons.”
“For everything there is a season.”
He nodded, “Yes, and now my season of darkness is at an end. All because of a sister who wouldn’t give up, even though I nearly had.”
“And, Lily. Her love showed you the way.”
“Oh, yes. But for the love of Lily, I’d still be there fumbling around in the dark, or else I’d have given up completely.”
Lily crooned. When they looked down at her, they saw her eyes looking out over the bay. They both turned just in time to see the sun crown the horizon and cast off the lingering darkness.
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