In the Doghouse by Teri Case

Author:Teri Case [Case, Teri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999701546
Publisher: BZCE Publishing

28

Lucy

If Dogs Could Talk

While Manny got coffee and a maple bar for Aunt Eve, Lucy stared down at the donut shop floor. Did John need someone else to fill him up or make him whole? But if that were true, he wouldn’t want to be alone. Had he lied when he said that was why he was leaving her? Or was the truth even worse: she wasn’t enough jelly. Their relationship hadn’t been enough. She didn’t complete John. If her mom and Brené Brown could hear her thoughts now, they’d gag.

And then it hit her. Her stomach turned, and the glaze that had tasted so sweet only minutes before now felt like a pasty residue in her mouth. She was the one walking around like she’d lost her innards, her jelly. She was the one having an identity crisis. She was the one desperate to put her and John back together again.

Oh God! Was she the jelly donut posing as an old-fashioned, glazed?

Jelly or old-fashioned, how boring and uninteresting she felt. Did she rate low on the jelly scale? Was she Jennifer Aniston and now John had an Angelina Jolie? No matter; both those relationships were over. And she liked both actresses.

She should get rid of her television and read more. She needed to get a life. She needed real people in her life. If she were to call any of her friends, they’d die of shock. They might not even return her calls. Pretty insulting, she thought, to start calling people now that she was single. Why hadn’t she realized how much her life revolved around work, television, John, and Skip?

Manny walked toward her, cradling two coffees to go and a bag of maple donuts for her aunt.

“Ready?” He opened the door for her, and they walked out. Skip, for once, waited for her to exit. He even hesitated and waited behind Tank.

Phaius Tancarvilleae was moving slower and stiffer than he had on their way to the shop. She was surprised when Skip moved closer to Tank, as if offering his strength to lean on.

She figured she was seeing things, but Manny said, “Skip’s a sweet dog. What is he?”

“A Wolador.”

“Sounds like a Harry Potter name: ‘Wolador.’” Manny’s voice went deep and rumbled.

Clearly, Skip and Tank aren’t the only ones being read to by Thomas. “Half Timber Wolf, half Labrador. He’s illegal in some states.”

She watched as Skip moved even closer to Tank, and Tank turned and licked him on his jaw.

“He’s a monster all right.” Manny sipped his coffee. “You might as well ask. I know you want to.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said and looked away. But she did want to know if Tank was okay.

“Liar.”

“I’m trying to change. Trying to start minding my own business.”

“He’s dying,” Manny said.

She didn’t want to say “I’m sorry” or offer any platitudes about Tank having a good life or suggest Manny could get a new puppy someday. That was kind of like people telling her she’d find another man.

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