The Glass House by Bettina Wolfe

Author:Bettina Wolfe [Wolfe , Bettina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780578735641
Publisher: Indigo Publishing
Published: 2020-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

20

David

I retrieve the groceries and the large bag of dog food from the truck. As I make my way along the walkway back toward the house, I sense something’s off with Val. I thought she would have been more excited about the dog since all she ever talks about is safety. I expected a different reaction.

I have another surprise in store for her but decide to save it for later. I am slowly learning that Val doesn’t like too much information thrown at her all at once. I have the feeling she is overwhelmed with the move and I’m hoping she isn't having second thoughts. I don't know what I’ll do if she leaves me. I will do everything in my power to make sure she stays.

I have to act fast and put things in order, so she won’t have any reason to leave. I want to make things easy on her, so she can have time to focus on her writing.

“Here, let me help you,” she says, reaching out to carry a bag of groceries.

Max circles around us, whining and sniffing each bag, anxiously waiting for his food. Val finds one of the plastic bowls I bought and fills it with kibble. When she places it on the floor, Max starts crunching away. She unpacks the remaining items, lining them up on the counter.

“Peach wine?” she questions. Holding the bottle up in front of her, she examines the label. “I've never seen this kind before.”

“Yeah, there are all sorts of cool products here. It makes shopping very interesting.” I watch as she stares at the bottle, a blank expression frozen on her face as if she’s trying to avoid me.

“You can open it if you want,” I suggest.

A half crooked smile forms on her lips as she places the wine on the counter.

“Okay, what's going on? Did something happen while I was away?”

Hesitating, she gently strokes the top of Max’s head as he sits next to her panting.

“I talked to Cindy today,” she replies, lowering her gaze.

“Oh, really? What did she have to say?”

“She was worried about me because she hadn’t been able to reach me.”

“You still have your phone, right?”

“Yeah, but it was turned off.”

“Why did you shut it off?”

"I didn’t. That’s the strange part. If I did, I don't remember.”

“Listen, we've had a lot going on. You’ve been busy since we arrived. Maybe things have been a bit overwhelming for you.”

“Yeah, it's going to take some time getting used to being here. Everything is so different.”

I watch as she struggles to open the bottle.

“Here, let me open it for you.” Gripping the bottle, I twist the cap off while she reaches into the cabinet for wine glasses.

“Twist off,” she remarks, raising an eyebrow.

After filling both glasses halfway, we retreat to the living area. Val takes a seat on the futon, crossing her legs underneath her and slowly sips her wine. She avoids looking at me and focuses her attention on Max, who lays peacefully beside her on the floor.

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