Touched by light

Chapter 3

"Love is something you never should chase, but something, that you should wait for. When you're ready, it comes to you." 

I woke up to the sound of a guitar playing, and a crispy warm voice singing. I was alone in bed, but it sounded perfect. I put on one of his shirts and my thong. 
When I went to the kitchen, I saw, that he wasn't there either, so I went out on his porch, and saw him sitting on a tree stump, with his back turned towards me. He didn't know, that I was listening.

"Still falling,
Still chasing, still nervous,
Still reeling, dreaming about this

And after every sunrise holding you,
After all the crazy we've been through
Every day and every minute, girl, it's something new,
I'm still learning, still burning, yeah, still wanting, still all-in, still falling.
Still falling. "

After the last word in the song, I walked up to him, and he turned around. He got up and walked towards me. He smiled nervously.
"Goodmorning."
"Goodmorning handsome." I kissed his lips. "How long have you been up?"
"Only for an hour or so, I couldn't get myself to wake youup. You looked so angelic while sleeping." he kissed my forehead. "Did you sleep good?"
"Better than I ever had, but I missed you in there."
"I'm sorry love, forgive me." 
"Always." my arms were around his neck. "Anything to see you smile."
"Well how kind of you." he kissed me. "I better call the clinic, to tell them, that I will be working from the cabin today."
"probably a good idea."he chuckled as I kissed his cheeks, jumped down and ran inside. "catch me if you can. "
"you goof." and then he ran after me. Inside I fell as I reached the couch. He looked like he was panicking.
"are you okay?" he crouched beside me. He looked a little confused, when I laughed.
"I'm fine." he both got up, and laughed. He went inside his office to call. I decided to make him breakfast. He had been a perfect gentleman, so I owed him to be nice. "pancakes, scrambled eggs, or fruit salad?" I thought to myself.
" Hey Justin, pancakes, scrambled eggs or a fruit salad?" I yelled from the kitchen.
"fruits salad would be nice, love." I opened the fridge to find the needed fruits. I grabbed 3 apples, a mango, a lime, a coconut and some hazelnuts. I began to cut the apples, the mango and cracked the coconut so I could cut the proper pieces. I mixed it in a bowl, and poured some juice from the lime, to give the salad a minor spice. After that I mixed in the hazelnuts. When he came back, I gave him a plate with the fruit salad.
"It looks delicious. So I'll have 2 clients coming in today, both with a dog. An Alaskan Malamut, and a Great Dane. If you want to, you could join me for their checkup."
"Really? That would be amazing." I jumped up, and ran around like a fool.
"of cause you can, I actually need you to assist me." he laughed so hard, that he almost choked on the salad. "we should probably take a shower then." he took his plate to his dishwasher, and then carried me to the bathroom. He undressed me, and almost looked hungry. As I undressed him, I noticed how amazing his eyes were. Hazelnut brown, and very gentle. He turned on the water, and we went in. The water felt amazing, and his hands gently touched my hair.
"you have seriously long hair, you know that right? But the dark brown color looks good to you." he gave me the shampoo, so I could wash my hair. The shower gel for the skin, smelled like vanilla. As we were done, we both grabbed a towel, so we could get dry, and put on some clean clothes.
As we went into the living room, we grabbed an apple each, and went downstairs his home clinic.
"So are you ready to taste the life of a veterinarian?" he mocked me. "it's a one of a kind life."
"I am more than ready. I'm stoked for this opportunity."
"good." he gave me a warm hug. "I need you to help keep the dogs relaxed and calm, while I examine them. Can you handle that?"
"yeah, it shouldn't be so hard."
"you would be surprised. Once in a while I come across animals, where I need to give them something, so they can relax."
"really?"
"but those today are older." he hugged me tight. "the Alaskan malamut is actually my mom's dog, his name is Nagi."
"I'll meet your mom today?!" it sent me into a state of panic.
"relax, my mom is the type of old woman, who is much kind, she'll love you." he kissed my cheeks. "and you'll love Nagi, he's an old boy, but acts like a puppy."
"I'm seriously nervous now." then we heard a knock on the door.
"where's my handsome son?" I saw an elderly woman enter, and then I saw Nagi. "oh my, who is this beautiful young lady?" my cheeks turned as red as a tomato.
"I'm Melinda. Nice to meet you." when I tried to shake her hand, she grabbed me into a warm hug.
"Justin, you never told me you would have a visitor."
"sorry mom, I forgot to call you."
"it's okay son, and nice to meet you Melinda, and please call me Grace."
"thank you Grace, and call me Mel, everyone's calling me that."
"I certainly hope my son is calling you something worthy of you, I raised him to do so."
"mom, we are just getting to know each other." he stroke his hair. "oh Nagi you old meatball, come here." I giggled, as I saw Nagi run happily over to Justin. "Nagi, go over and say hi to Mel." and with that Nagi came towards me and sat down. I felt his fur, which was soft as silk.
"you are such a handsome man Nagi." I crouched down, and Nagi started to lick my face. "I love you too buddy."
"you're good with Nagi, I'm pretty sure he loves you." Grace looked at me with a huge smile. "could you guys have him over for a week?"
"sure mom, what's up?"
"I'll be visiting your sister." she then looked at me. "his sister, Ivy, had a baby last year, so I really want to visit my little granddaughter."
"understandable, but it will be a pleasure to have Nagi here." I gazed over at Nagi. "what do you say buddy?" he barked happily. I don't think, that I ever had the pleasure of meeting such a happy dog.
"let's get him on the table." Justin lifted up Nagi, and put him on the table, so I began to keep Nagi occupied, so Justin could examine him. Nagi stood still and looked calm.
"after this Nagi, we'll find a nice bed for you." I gently scratched Nagi by his ears. He seemed to like it.
"he looks like he's in perfect shape mom, good old Nagi is in perfect health."
"that's good, give him lots of treats tonight, he'll probably miss me."
"sure mom, oh, and say hi to Ivy from me." she nodded and gave him a tight hug.
"it was a pleasure meeting you Mel, and I hope to see you again." she hugged me.
"it was my pleasure to meet you Grace. And we'll take good care of Nagi for you."
And with that Grace left. She was a nice old lady.
"my mom likes you, and obviously so does Nagi." Nagi licked my face again, and then he jumped off the table.
"You're mom is so nice, and Nagi is a pleasure."
"she is, but we actually have to get ready for the Great Dane, so Nagi, can you lay over in your bed?" Nagi went to his bed in the corner.
"let me clean the table." I kissed Justin, and found a clean cloth, and made it wet, and grabbed the antiseptic soap, and cleaned the table.
"remind of how lucky I am, to have you." he hugged me from behind. "I need to see your college papers after this."
"because we need each other." and why do you need to see them? "
"so I can get an idea of your knowledge of animals and their biology."
"oh yeah, of cause." I giggled. Justin kissed my neck, and embraced me.
"I like you much already."
"I like you too Justin, and probably more than I'm willing to admit." I turned around, so our faces were only 1 inch apart, and I felt his breath. We looked each other in the eyes. I kissed him passionately, and he answered th kiss, by holding my cheeks and kissing me back. While we kissed, a man around probably 40, entered the room, and coughed.
"Oh hey Mike, sorry about that." I blushed, as this Mike chuckled.
"that's okay Justin, didn't know you had a thing for youngsters."
"I'm not a kid, if that's what you're thinking." I looked at him sternly. "I'm 22."
"Holy hell, you look so young, my apologies."
"it's fine." we shook hands, and then his Great Dane came in.
"Chucky, say hi." and then he barked pretty loud.
"Chucky you big slob, how are you today." Justin began to examine Chucky, as I scratched him gently.
"such a good man huh." I whispered to Chucky. "and very handsome." I giggled.
"So Justin, what's the deal with her?" Mike pointed at me.
"I'm trying to get to know her, so don't make it any harder for me." I couldn't believe Mike was so rude.
"So what's your name lady?"
"Melinda." I probably sounded cold.
"you're good with good old Chucky, Mel."
"To you it's Melinda."
"rude much."
"Maybe you shouldn't assume that I was a kid." Justin laughed.
"sure sure. I'm just kidding you know." he chuckled. "I like this one Justin, she ain't afraid of speaking up."
"I'll do my very best. I like her a lot." Justin finished the examination. "so Mike, it ain't looking to well, Chucky seems to be in pain from his old back injury."
"so what should I do?" Mike seemed sad. "I don't want my little man here to suffer."
"the best you could do, is to give him his peace. He is 15 after all, and I don't think a surgery will do him any good. He's already had one surgery."
"so this is it huh?" a tear fell down on Mike's cheek.
"I'm afraid so Mike, it's for his sake." Justin gave Mike a hug. "I know it's tough, but he'll be in a better place."
"I'm really sorry Mike." I put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a little smile.
"Thank you Melinda."
Mike crouched and gave Chuck a big hug. Justin gave me hug, because he had seen, that I was sad about it.
"I'll miss you buddy."
"Mel, if you don't wanna see this, it's okay if you go upstairs." Justin squeezed my hands. "It's okay, I need to see it, since I want to be a veterinarian." Justin nodded, and found a syringe and filled it with a sedative, and another syringe and filled it with the liquid, that would stop Chuckys heart.
"Mike, are you ready?" Mike nodded.
"Goodbye buddy, we'll see each other again one day." I looked, as Justin gave Chuck the sedative, and let it work, and then he gave Chuck the last syringe. After the heart had stopped, Mike picked up Chuckys lifeless body, and put in his own truck. And then he drove off.
"You okay love?" Justin pulled me into a tight hug.
"yeah, it's just hard to see that stuff."
"I know love, but remember, if Chucky was still alive, he would have suffered, because of his old injury, and he was old."
"I know." he tightened my hug around him, as he could see how sad I was.
"let's head upstairs with Nagi, and take a walk around the lake with him."
"that would be great, what do you say Nagi?" I looked gently at Nagi, who quickly got up, and jumped around in excitement.
Upstairs I grabbed my beige coat, and my boots, while Justin put on his boots. He didn't want to wear his leather jacket. As we went outside, we felt the sun on our faces, and Nagi ran around with a thick tree stick. Justin and I walked hand in hand, while Nagi followed us so faithfully.
"Could you see yourself living in the woods with me in the future?" he squeezed my hand.
"Just like I am now? If it feels as good as it does at the time, then yeah." I answered him nervously.
"I'll do whatever I can, to see you smile, to make you feel safe, and to make you happy." as we got closer to the lake, Nagi stopped and looked at us, then looked at the water, and back at us again. Almost like he was begging.
"Go ahead buddy." Justin threw a stick in the water, and quite fast, Nagi jumped into the water, and swam around. I couldn't help but smile, while I watched Justin jump into the water with Nagi. I stood there at the edge of the water, smiling like an idiot. What happened next, went by in the blink of an eye.
"MEL WATCH OUT!" Justin's voice sounded blurry, as I turned around. And saw a figure in the distance. I looked down, and realized, that an arrow had pierced my stomach. I fell down on my knees, and screamed in pain. Justin had ran up to me quickly, and sat down with me, and ran his fingers through my hair.
"Nagi, find help, now." and with that, Nagi ran off. "It will be okay Mel, stay with me."
"It hurts, it hurts so bad." I looked at Justin, and cried. Justin picked me up carefully, and ran to his cabin. The area where the arrow was, was bleeding heavily.
"Hang on Mel, I need to find my phone." he steadily laid me on the couch, when we got inside the cabin. He looked frantically around the cabin, until he finally found his phone. I could only hear a small bit, while he called for an ambulance. As he got off the phone, he found a clean cloth to put around the arrow.
"The ambulance is on the way, it will be okay, just stay with me." he stroke my cheek, and looked at me. Tears was streaming down his cheeks. "I don't wanna loose you. I CAN'T LOOSE YOU!" suddenly Nagi came back, and began howling. He sounded so sad, that everything almost seemed clear. I frantically grabbed Justin by his neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss.
"I don't wanna die now, not while I'm recovering better than ever."
After a shirt while, we could hear the sound of sirens from an ambulance. The time seemed to pass by faster, and before I knew it, I was in the ambulance with Justin. Nagi stayed in the cabin. While the ambulance was driving, I felt Justin's hand in mine.
"Miss, can you tell me your name?" the paramedic looked me in the eyes.
"Mel... Melinda Parker. My name is Melinda Parker." the pain made me stutter.
"That's good. Do you remember who fired the arrow?"
"Not really, I only caught a glimpse. I remember blond short hair, and it was a man. He was wearing a black hoodie." I felt so tired. And I think, that I fell asleep.