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.I hurried down the stairs and was relieved to find both my mother and father seated together at the table.“Good morning, Glory,” said my father brightly.“Hi Daddy,” I replied.“The waffles smell good Mom.”“And I’ve got homemade syrup from Cooper’s,” she said.“The farmer that sells it had a little stand set up outside the store as I drove past yesterday afternoon.I know how you love real maple syrup!”“Cooper’s Hardware? It’s still open then?” I inquired.“Yes.Of course.Why wouldn’t it be?” my father responded.“No reason,” I mumbled.Then I added, laughing at myself, “I must have dreamt that something happened I guess.”I had decided that I would not be sharing the knowledge of my trips with my parents.I saw no reason to concern them with all that had transpired over the course of my travels.Surely no good would come of it and I felt that we had all been through quite enough.I would spare them the truth.As I dove into the plate of waffles, they were even more delicious eaten with the knowledge that the hardware store was still standing and more importantly, that the Coopers were alive and well.It dawned on me, as I enjoyed my breakfast, that there would be much more to discover about what events had transpired during the fifteen months I had missed.As soon as I finished eating, I hurried off to fill in the missing pieces of my life.CHAPTER THIRTY SIXPAS was clearly labeled on my calendar for the date of my return, so after breakfast, I dressed in the scrubs that were in a pile on my floor and drove to the Perryville Animal Shelter in the next town over.I was both pleased and saddened to discover that somehow, over the course of the missing months, I had acquired a new pre-owned car, the very same make and model as Charlie’s.My heart ached with longing as I started the engine, remembering our time together.It was bittersweet that I had chosen a car so similar to his.I wondered what my motivation had been.Upon my arrival at the shelter, I was greeted by a lone employee.Her nametag read Brenda.She seemed pleased that I was there and launched into a monologue about what needed to be done with the animals during my shift.When she was finished, I asked several questions about how things were to be done, to which she responded, “You act like you haven’t done this a hundred times before!”I laughed along with her, citing exhaustion as the reason for my lapse in memory.After a few minutes, she left me alone to check the health of several of the new kittens that had arrived overnight and to clean out cages.The kittens were sweet little balls of orange and white fluff that mewed happily as I approached them.I checked each of them carefully for mites and fleas, felt their abdomens for distension, and looked in their ears for signs of infection.My summers spent at the veterinary clinic had served me well.The kittens seemed healthy enough, and I fed each of them from prefilled bottles of formula.I spent the next couple of hours cleaning out the cages and pens of the various animals that called the shelter home.I found the work to be relaxing and almost therapeutic, as I completed one cage after another.As I worked, several families came through the shelter, inquiring about adoption.They “ooh”ed and “aah”ed over the cats and dogs, each child more excited than the next.I was spraying down the last of the pens when I heard voices toward the end of the hall.It was a man and a child.The man’s voice seemed strangely familiar to me.I leaned around the cage door in an attempt to see them, but both had their backs toward me, so I returned to my work.I listened to them getting closer and closer as they meandered down the long corridor, stopping to look at each of the animals along the way.Finally, they arrived at the last pen.I looked up into the face of the grieving father from the hospital.He looked different than he had in the hospital courtyard all those months ago.His hair was almost completely grey but the color had returned to his complexion.I noticed that, after all the time that had passed, he still had not fully recovered from the accident as he was using a cane to walk.Beside him was a small boy, still in grade school, eyes wide with the delight of their excursion.“What kind is that one?” he asked me of the dog whose cage I was finishing.“His name is Chuckles,” I responded, smiling at the boy.“He’s a pure bred mutt.”The father considered me once, then a second time, and a look of recognition passed over his face.“I know you,” he said.“Yes,” I smiled.“I know you too.We met in the hospital courtyard.”“Yes, I remember,” he said solemnly.“Can I see this dog, Daddy?” the boy asked suddenly.I looked to the father for acceptance.He nodded in my direction.I called to Chuckles, who happily bounded over to the pen door, his tail wagging enthusiastically behind him.I clipped a leash to his collar.“Would you like to take him into the yard to play with him?” I asked.“Yes!” the boy exclaimed, reaching for Chuckles’ leash.The father and I followed the boy and the dog into the fenced yard on the side of the building where they proceeded to romp around with great enthusiasm.The father and I stood together, side by side, watching them both running wildly together.“His name is Ethan.I haven’t seen him smile like this in ages.Not since before the accident.I think he loved Alexis even more than I did, if that’s possible.”Not knowing how to respond, I stood silently and waited for him to continue.“You were right you know,” he announced finally.“About what?” I responded.“That it gets better.Not a lot, but a little.We’re here because, well, the boy just needs some joy in his life.I’m still not able to spread a lot of joy around yet, but I thought, maybe a dog…” he trailed off.“He looks happy,” I commented.“He’s getting there.And how about you?” he asked, turning from Ethan to look at me.“I’m… I’m okay.My arms work again,” I laughed, holding them high in the air, “so there’s always that.I think I’ve finally made peace with things.How they are.How they are supposed to be.”He considered me for a moment.“You’re one special girl,” he said, shaking his head.“Thanks,” I replied, my heart suddenly feeling as though it was being squeezed in a vise [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]