Noah is eleven. River’s muzzle has begun showing silver around the crescentshaped scar. His injured foot becomes stiff during cold rain, but he runs without a limp on most days.
They remain difficult to separate.
River waits outside the bathroom.
Noah waits outside veterinary examination rooms.
When Noah does homework, River lies beneath the desk. When River receives medication, Noah checks the time and places a small mark on the kitchen calendar.
Every May, the family visits the lake in the early morning.
Noah wears a life jacket near the dock even though he can now swim. River wears a flotation vest whenever he enters water.
They do not frame safety as fear.
They call it respect.
At the grass where the rescue ended, Noah throws one red rubber ball away from the lake, toward the open field.
River chases it.
He returns the ball only halfway, drops it, and waits for Noah to complete the distance.
