I wanted so much to step over and pick them up. Several times I tried to move my feet, but they seemed to be nailed to the floor. I knew the pups were mine, all mine, yet I couldn't move. My heart started aching like a drunk grasshopper. I tried to swallow and couldn't. My Adam's apple wouldn't work. One pup started my way. I held my breath. On he came until I felt a scratchy little foot on mine. The other pup followed. A warm puppy tongue caressed my sore foot. I heard the stationmaster say, 'They already know you.' I knelt down and gathered them in my arms. I buried my face between their wiggling bodies and cried.
The narrator experiences an intense emotional struggle as they long to approach their puppies. Despite the strong desire to pick them up, they feel paralyzed, unable to move as if their feet are fixed to the ground. The bond with the puppies is profound, causing a physical ache in the narrator's heart, creating an overwhelming sense of yearning and anticipation. The atmosphere is heavy with emotion as the narrator struggles with their own feelings of helplessness, unable to act despite the powerful connection felt towards the pups.
