White Dog had retired to her bedroom suite; Bailey and Pearl were already hunkered down in the office. The storm came on fast and strong. It was loud with its thunder and the lightning blasted the windows atomic white. It was pounding down buckets of water...so much even Nilla came in from the sun porch because water was pushing under the door.
Tizenegy was pressed against Steve; standing with two feet on the sofa and his head pressed into Steve's lap.
Steve gently stroked his side and cooed gentle reassurance. Tiz burrowed deeper into Steve.
His nose began sniffing as he sought comfort. Steve had put aside his dinner tray with its freshly made pork stirfry.
Tizenegy whined pathetically and in a smooth move brought his face up and into Steve's plate.
"Hey!" Steve moved to push him away. "That is NOT yours." Tiz bared teeth in a moment of food possessiveness (he had eaten not half an hour earlier). Steve pushed our boy to the floor and said, "You cannot come up here if you are going to forget your manners and be mean."
Tiz trotted over to the hallway and stood for a moment, defiantly, before lifting his leg on the door jamb.
"That is ENOUGH!" I told him in my momma voice. "If you are afraid go to your bed...and while you are there, THINK about how you just misbehaved." He turned and went to bed.
Steve was quiet for a couple of minutes. The storm was abating. "Am I a terrible dad for pushing my frightened boy off?"
White Dog was just walking into the room and laughed. "It is in times of storms or challenges that the Army needs to not lose their training. Imagine the chaos if everyone just became opportunists. He knew he crossed a line. Do not feel guilty, dad. He will come out in a bit and say he is sorry."
I had to agree.
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