(Sean's POV)
My phone rang as I was leaving the restaurant. "Where are you?" Ivann asked, his tone sounding worried.
"I'm just getting into my truck to come home," I answered. "Why, is something wrong?"
"Everything is fine, now," he assured me. "But can you pick up a cell phone on your way?"
"Why, did you break yours?" I asked, with a little chuckle. It wouldn't be the first one that he's broke, not even the first one that he's broke this year.
"No," he answered flatly. "Just pick one up and I'll explain everything when you get here."
The house was silent when I walked in. The pups were nowhere to be seen. Must be in their rooms; I surmised. Ivann sat at the table, looking worriedly down into a hot cup of tea.
"I got the phone you wanted," I said as I walked over and sat it down on the table beside him. "What's going on?" I asked him as I pulled out a chair and sat down, looking him over.
He didn't answer me for a long moment. "Kyle and Anthony walked home today, from school," he mumbled.
"Okay. So did anything happen?"
"No," he answered, still looking down into his cup of tea.
"Then what's the problem?" When I was a young pup, I used to walk home from school all the time, so I didn't understand why he seemed so worried.
"I waited for them to get off the bus when it came, but when it just drove by I got so worried. I started thinking the worst had happened - like, they got in a fight or they got kidnapped or even worse..."
As he looked over at me, I could hear the fear in his voice and see it in his eyes. Now I know how my mother felt about me walking home. She never told me how afraid for me she was, but whenever I walked home, she would always give me the biggest and longest hugs.
"I was about to go looking for them when they walked in the door. Kyle acted like there was nothing wrong. He said that he didn't feel like riding the bus, so he and Anthony walked," he told me. "Sean, I was so worried about them. I don't want to feel like that again. That's why I had you get the phone," he said, tears pooling in his eyes.
"I understand," I told him as I pulled him into my arms. "You can relax now. They're home and they're safe," I said as he sniffled and nuzzled into the crook of my neck. "I'll start on dinner, while you add the phone to our cell phone plan." He was better with electronics than I was and he was way better with the help on the other end of the line, so I thought I'd leave activating the phone up to him.
"Okay," he agreed, nodding as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
He sat at the table, talking to someone from our cell phone provider, as I sat across from him, cutting up some vegetables. His tone was neutral, never raising even though his ear flicked, more and more, with frustration. If it was me talking to them, I would probably be yelling and growling at them by now. Maybe that's why it's taking so long for the insurance company to get back with us about Ivann's new car? Perhaps I'll give them another call tomorrow.
"It's done," he said with a heavy sigh.
"Dinner is just about done too," I told him, looking over my shoulder, from the stove. "Do you want to give Kyle the phone now, or do you want to wait until we are done eating?" I asked as I grabbed plates and silverware and then started setting the table.
"No," he answered, pushing the phone away. "I'm not as worried as I was, but now I'm more frustrated with him for walking home without finding some way to let us know. I'm sure there was someone that would've let him use their phone or he could have sent a message, using one of the computers at the school."
