Page 159 of Make Me Trust Again
“I guess it’s now or never,” I mutter as the claps come from inside the classroom. “Let’s go.”
I push the door open wider, and both dogs start walking in step with me. Soft cheers and excited sounds fill the room as weenter, and when I look up, I find more than a dozen pairs of eyes locked on me. My gaze immediately darts to Kyle, who’s sitting in the middle of the room, his smile blinding when he spots us. Seeing the sheer joy on his face eases some of that worry as I come to a stop in front of the class.
Teddy spots him immediately and tugs at the leash, but I tighten my hold on him. “Teddy, sit.”
Teddy glances at me before his gaze moves to Kyle and then back at me. “Sit,” I repeat, and he finally plops his ass on the ground. I slide my hand into my treat bag and pull out a cookie, handing it to him, which earns us moreoohsandaahsfrom the kids. Teddy finally notices the other kids and their attention on him, which makes him sit a little straighter—little showoff. Shadow’s gaze, on the other hand, is razor sharp, her body still as it always is when she’s wearing her working harness.
“Getting straight to it?” The teacher chuckles, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“I’m afraid he’s just young and mischievous.”
“Oh, I know all about that.” The teacher tilts her head at me with a smile. “The class is yours, Lieutenant.”
I nod to the older woman and clear my throat. “Thank you.”
Shifting my attention back to the class, I find all the little eyes zeroing in on me. Or, well, better said, the dogs who are sitting by my side.
Taking in a long breath, I clear my throat.
“My name is Chase, and these are Shadow and Teddy,” I introduce slowly, my hands shaking slightly as I sign, trying hard to spell out every letter correctly.
I can feel all the kids’ attention on me, their curious glances making my neck prickle, but I try to push back my discomfort and focus on one thing.
Kyle.
His familiar blue eyes are locked on me, they’re wide, mouth open in surprise as he watches me sign. My fingers feel sweaty, movements stiff. Maybe his surprise is because I’m failing miserably, and he can’t understand a word of it.
Why did I think this would be a good idea again?
I’ve been learning ASL through videos and sign cards I bought online for the last few weeks. So far, I’ve learned the alphabet and some simple signs, but since Kyle asked me to come, I’ve been trying to practice in front of the mirror. However, it’s one thing to do it at home, all alone, than in front of people. Even if those people are just a group of seven-year-old kids, they’re Kyle’s classmates, his friends. I don’t want to disappoint him.
“Shadow is a retired K9, and Teddy is a young rescue. Kyle just adopted him from the shelter where I work, and we’re training him to be his hearing dog.”
“A hearing dog,” a boy in the last row scoffs. “All dogs can hear.”
My eyes narrow in irritation at the boy. Not at his question, but the dismissive tone he used.
“Not all dogs can hear or see. Same as people. Some people and dogs are born that way, and others can become that way with age or after an injury. I’ve lost most of my hearing in my right ear a few years ago.”
I watch his eyes go wide, his gaze darting to my scars.
“Is it because of what happened to your face?” somebody asks, drawing my attention from the rude boy.
“Yes. I was close to an explosion, which gave me these scars and damaged my hearing. However, the term hearing dog is used for the dogs that help deaf or hard-of-hearing people interpret sounds. Let’s say your phone rings, or the fire alarm goes off, they hear the sound, recognize what kind of sound it is, and they let you know where you need to go.”
“Wow, that’s so cool. So that’s what you do? Train hearing dogs?”
“It is. Dogs are the best.” I glance to the girl on my left. “And kind of?—”
“Why do dogs work?” another boy asks, his brows furrowing.
“Some dog breeds enjoy working; it gives them purpose.”
The boy shakes his head, his tone dead serious. “Not my dog. His only purpose is to sleep.”
The corner of my mouth tips upward as the whole class bursts into laughter. “Trust me, he’s not the only one. Some dogs are meant to be pets, but others really enjoy working. You can see how excited they get when they complete a task.”
“How do you know if they’re a working dog?”
