"He didn't freeze," Max said, and something fierce and proud broke through the exhaustion in his voice. "He remembered every single thing I taught him. He bit a grown man twice his size and found a hiding spot smaller than most dogs could fit into, and he waited, Ruby. He did everything right."
"He's three," Ruby whispered.
"I know." Max pulled her into his arms, and for once, she let herself lean into it fully, let herself be simply a frightened mother instead of a woman carrying secrets sharp enough to cut everyone around her.
"I know he's three, well, just a week and he will be a smart four-year-old. And I hate that he had to be brave tonight. But he was. He saved himself, Ruby. Our son saved himself."
Ruby closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady, reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat.
