Wheeling Gull Isle snake eyed with a sly smile.

Ava seemed to forget all about the incident as soon as the word “beach” left his lips. Caracal felt a great deal of relief, though the guilt lingered, evidenced by the damp fur on his cheeks. He just hoped that Ava might forget all about this, even if he never would, and that it wouldn’t revisit her traumatically on some future day.

He motioned for her to lead the way out of the den, following closely behind her. He was humbled by her forgiveness and trust. It might have had a lot do with her age, though Caracal still didn’t take it for granted. He sent up a little prayer thanking God for small miracles as he trotted just behind her, heading downhill toward the outer edges of the island.

The grass gave way to soft sand. Caracal looked up and down the curving coastline, then returned his attention to the little girl. Would she venture closer to the water or was she happy to hang back and play in the sand? Perhaps they could build something out of the wet stuff, though he would do whatever Ava wanted to do, honestly.