Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
I knock on Tessa and Ryan’s front door, and Tessa appears in the doorway. She hugs me in greeting and welcomes me inside, and we catch up in the entryway for several minutes.
“Have you heard from Charlotte lately?” I ask, trying to sound casual. Like I’m not physically aching to hear the tiniest shred of news about her. Charlotte and I have exchanged some texts this past week, but it was superficial stuff. Not even in the same stratosphere as kinds of conversations we had while living next-door to each other.
“She’s putting in long days of training,” Charlotte says. “Learning the ropes at the new airline. She said it’s all the same stuff she already knows; she just needs to learn how they like things done.”
“Gotcha. Cool.” It’s actually what Charlotte told me, in a nutshell, when I texted to ask how it’s going in Dallas. I was hoping Tessa would have something more exciting to tell me. For instance, that Charlotte mentioned she’s been missing me. I doubt Charlotte has been feeling like I have this week—like all the sunshine has drained from the atmosphere. Like all the birds in the sky have stopped chirping. Even ice cream seems like a pointless exercise. I clear my throat. “Thanks so much for letting Lucky stay here this week.”
“We had a blast with him. He’s a member of the family now. He’s been sleeping with Claire in her bed all week. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s awesome.”
“They’re joined at the hip. He’s in the family room with the kids. They’re watching a cartoon before dinnertime.”
I follow Tessa into the heart of the house. I’m surprised Lucky didn’t greet me in the entryway after hearing my voice. I’ve never once come home to my condo and not been immediately greeted by an excited Lucky. To be fair, though, this house is much bigger than my place. Plus, if he’s with the kids, it’s possible one or both are literally holding him hostage.
Welp, so much for the hostage theory. When we arrive in the family room, Rudy the husky hops off the couch to greet me, while Lucky stays put on Claire’s lap—but the little girl isn’t holding Lucky down or otherwise keeping him in place. Clearly, Lucky is free to go and choosing to remain in Claire’s lap, even after seeing me walk in.
“Hey, Lucky,” I say, striding toward him. He wags his tail and bobs his head happily, but he doesn’t get up to greet me. On the contrary, the way Lucky’s staying put in Claire’s lap feels intentional. Like he’s saying, “Don’t you dare try to take me away from here, motherfucker.”
“Hi, Uncle Auggie,” Zach says. He’s sitting on the couch next to Claire.
“Hey, buddy. Good to see you.” I address Tessa. “Hey, is Lucky feeling okay?”
“Yes, as far as I know. The kids just played with both dogs out in the back yard, and Lucky was zooming around the yard like a champ. Maybe he’s tired.”
“Yeah, that’s probably it. Has he been eating and drinking normally?”
“Yep. No issues.”
“Good. That’s great.” I drop it, not wanting to admit I’ve just realized my own dog doesn’t give enough of a shit about me, after only one week away, to leave the comfort of his new favorite person’s lap to welcome me back.
I sit next to Claire and stroke Lucky’s head, and my dog gives me every indication he’s delighted by my presence and touch. Thrilled, even. But, still, he doesn’t move from Claire’s lap and into mine, as I’d normally expect him to do. I don’t think that’s by chance. I think Lucky is letting me know I’m going to have to drag him out of this Nirvana he’s found with Tessa’s family, kicking and barking. As far as he’s concerned, I was nothing but a beloved foster parent till he found his forever home.
The thought of me leaving here without Lucky breaks my already broken heart. Not to mention, even if Lucky wants to remain here, it’s not up to him. Surely, Tessa’s already got more than enough on her plate with her family, career, Rudy, and a third baby on the way.
“Sorry, buddy,” I say, patting Lucky’s head. “All good things must come to an end, little dude. It’s time for us to go home.”
Claire suddenly realizes what’s happening. Up until now, she was too absorbed in her cartoon to grasp the situation. But now, in a flash, she wraps her little arms around the dog and calls out to Tessa, “Mommy, no. Please! Let him stay!”
Tessa looks deeply sympathetic to her daughter’s plight, but she shakes her head and says, “Honey, I know how much you love Lucky. We all love him. But I’ve reminded you all week long: he’s not going to stay with us forever. We were only dog-sitting for Auggie, remember? Auggie loves Lucky the same way you love Rudy, remember?”