Kathy drove as quickly as she could to the kennel to retrieve the dogs. She didn’t like the idea of leaving Nick with Christina at all. She just had a bad feeling about it. The people at the kennel helped her get the travel carriers onto the truck and she was soon on her way back to the house. She knew as soon as she pulled into the driveway that she shouldn’t have left Nick alone with that girl. Christina was storming through the door, shouting obscenities at Nick all the way to her car. She tossed some things into the trunk of her car and stamped back into the house. Nick was struggling to make his way down the stairs. He was tapping his cane along, trying to feel for the edge, and took a step at the same time. He missed the stair and fell down the few steps to the pavement. Kathy pulled her seatbelt off and ran over to him just as Christina came out of the house with another handful of clothes. "Serves you right, you bastard!" she spit out at him as Kathy helped him stand. "Chris!" Nick began to protest. "Let’s just go in the house Nick. Let her get her stuff and go. Come on." Kathy settled Nick on the sofa and checked him over for injuries from his fall. "You have a cut on your elbow. Let me get a bandage for you." Kathy banged into Christina on her way to the bathroom. "Are you screwing him?" The younger girl glared at her. "What?" "You know...is he bonking you in return for services rendered?" Kathy scoffed. "I’ve never heard a more ridiculous thing in my life!" "Then why is he kicking me out? We were happy!" Christina wailed. "If you cared so much about him, why didn’t you call or visit him when he was in the hospital?" "I had things to do!" she protested. "Let me tell you something, if I had someone has wonderful as Nick I would have dropped everything to be with him. He needs all the support he can get right now." "How do you know how wonderful he is?" Christina stared at her through suspicious eyes. "I’m his nurse, I was his nurse when he was in the hospital." Christine smiled thinly. "A purely professional relationship I’m sure." She pushed Kathy aside. "Get out of my way, I need to get the rest of my things!"

Kathy returned to Nick's side and cleaned the injury on his elbow. "Did you get the dogs?" he asked through clenched teeth as Kathy applied the iodine. "Oh my God! They're still in the truck!" Kathy finished covering the cut and jumped up running for the door. "Stay still!" she ordered, turning back to Nick. Thinking it easier to just bring the dogs in rather than carry both cages, Kathy released the lock and let them out. Both dogs immediately jumped off the truck and ran around her in circles, yapping away at her. Christina came out of the house with a large box and kicked at one of them. The other protectively ran over and nipped at Christina's heel. "Get away from me you damn mutt!" she shrieked. Kathy couldn’t help but smile. "C’mon pups, let’s go see Daddy!" As soon as Nick heard the door open, he called out to the dogs. "Hey puppies, come here puppies, come here!" Kathy smiled as the dogs squirmed happily on Nick's lap, licking his face and hands, jumping on his shoulders and finally, curling into balls and resting their heads on his arms peacefully. "I think they missed you." Kathy remarked. Nick leaned down to kiss their heads, each in turn. "They’re my babies. I love them so much."

Christina slammed the door shut and stamped into the living room. "I have everything, but this isn’t over Nick!" "What do you mean, Chris?" Nick looked confused. "It’s nothing personal, we’ve just grown apart." "We’ve just grown apart." Christina mimicked. "It’s very convenient that you already have another person to warm your sheets, isn’t it?" "Chris!" Nick protested. "Forget it Nick, just watch your back!" Christina laughed cruelly. "Oops, I guess you can’t watch anything now, can you?" With that, she tore the door open and slammed it shut behind her. Nick dropped his head and stroked the dogs backs quietly. "Nick..." He pushed her arm away. "What happened while I was gone?." "Just leave me alone, okay?" Kathy stood and sadly looked down at him. "I’ll be in the kitchen, just call me when you need me, okay?" A tear slid down his cheek. "How am I ever gonna know if someone loves me?" He whispered. Kathy sat down and gave him a gentle hug. "You will know when it’s right Nick." "I thought she loved me, I really did." One of the dogs hopped up and licked Nicks cheek, bringing a smile to his face. "I know it is hard to believe Nick but you will know when the girl is right for you. You won’t have to ask." Nick pushed his glasses aside and wiped his eyes. "I always had trouble knowing if people liked me for me or my fame and now I will be wondering if they like me because they feel sorry for me." "I kind of doubt that happening Nick, you are doing very well so far and it’s only been one day that you have been home." He smiled. "Thank you."

Kathy hugged him, and jokingly added, "And I must say, you can do much better than her!" Nick snorted. "I think you saw her worst side tonight!" "Probably, but that really colours what someone looks like to me, remember I was blind too and had to judge by personalities and attitudes as to what people were like." "How did you tell if someone was attractive?" he asked curiously. "Like I said, personality and attitudes were a big part of it. I would not have liked her at all!" "So there is no way to know what someone looks like other than them telling you?" Kathy looked at him quizzically. "No, not really, although if you get close to someone, you can do the touch method." "The touch method?" "Like this." Kathy closed her eyes and stroked her hands across his face lightly, feeling the sparse beard on his cheeks and the pits and scars from acne. "Can I try?" Nick murmured. Kathy removed her glasses and leaned forward. "Go for it." She took his hands and placed them on her face. He didn’t move his hands at first, just rubbed his thumbs across her cheeks. Then he let his hands travel gently over her face feeling her hairline, her eyes, her ears, letting his hands wander. Kathy relaxed and enjoyed the sensations he was making her feel. "I think you are beautiful." Nick said, huskily. Kathy's eyes flew open at his statement. "Oh Nick, I don’t think..." Before she could complete her sentence, he had leaned over and captured her mouth in a kiss. She thought her brain would explode, the feeling was so incredible. She couldn’t help but relax into him and let the kiss continue. Nick's hands tangled in her hair and pulled her closer. The moment was broken when one of the dogs leaped up between them and licked them both. Kathy shook her head, disbelieving what had just happened between them. Nick covered his mouth with his hand. "I’m so sorry Kathy!" he mumbled. "I don’t know what came over me!" He curled his fingers around his cane and stood awkwardly. Kathy stared after him as he slowly tapped his way to his bedroom, the dogs close on his heels.