See Me(94)

Last weekend, it had been clear that she needed some space to think. Her whipsawing emotions – about the stalker, about Colin – had left her feeling wildly off-kilter, a feeling that only grew worse as the week wore on.

Even the atmosphere at work felt odd to her. Ken had been in and out of Barney’s office most of the week, looking distracted and worried, though he didn’t so much as mumble a single word to her. Barney was equally tense; both he and Ken weren’t in the offices at all on Thursday, and when Lynn didn’t show up for work on either Thursday or Friday, she’d expected Barney to raise hell as soon as he returned, if only because Lynn hadn’t so much as called to say she wouldn’t be coming in. However, Barney had simply added Lynn’s work to Maria’s plate without explanation or comment.

Strange.

Her parents, too, were a concern. Still grieving over Copo, her dad was depressed to the point that he’d stopped going in to the restaurant, and her mom was worried about him. Maria had dinner with them on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Serena on Monday and Wednesday, and on the way to Colin’s fight, they’d both agreed that something needed to be done, even if they weren’t quite sure if there was anything they could do.

The fight was supposed to be a distraction, or at least that’s what she’d tried to tell herself. Serena, too. But as soon as Colin had stepped into the cage, she’d felt an almost nauseating wave of butterflies coupled with an acute sense of regret.

All of which meant… what?





With her parents grieving, the idea of begging off their usual Sunday brunch was out of the question, even if she didn’t feel as though she was in the right frame of mind to support anyone. Which was why the sight of Serena on the front porch, almost vibrating with expectant energy, caught Maria off guard. As soon as Maria pulled into the drive, Serena skipped over.

“What’s going on?”

“I know what we have to do,” Serena said. “And I have no idea why it took this long to figure it out, other than that I’m an idiot! On the plus side, you and I are going to get our lives back… I mean, I love Mom and Dad, but I can’t keep coming over here for dinner a couple of times a week and having brunch on Sunday. I already have to spend time with them at the restaurant, and I need at least a little space, you know?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve thought of something to help Mom and Dad.”

Maria stepped out of the car. “How are they?”

“Not great.”

“This should be interesting.”

“Like I said, I have a plan.”





It took some coaxing, but despite their reservations, Maria’s parents weren’t the kind to say no to their kids, especially when the girls were united in their pleas.

Climbing into their dad’s SUV, they drove to the Humane Society. When they reached the parking lot of the low-slung, nondescript building, Maria couldn’t help noticing how her parents dragged their feet, reluctance written in their every step. “It’s too soon,” their mother had protested when Serena first introduced the idea.

“We’ll just see what’s available,” Serena had reassured them. “No pressure.” Now they trailed behind their daughters, moving slowly toward the doors.

“I’m not so sure this is a good idea,” Maria hissed, leaning closer to Serena. “What if they don’t have a dog here that he likes?”

“Remember how I told you that Steve volunteers here? Well, after I told him about Copo, Steve mentioned that there’s one dog that just might be perfect,” Serena whispered back. “He even agreed to meet us here.”

“Did you ever consider getting him another shih tzu? From the same breeder where they got Copo?”

“Of course I did,” Serena said. “But I didn’t want them to think we were trying to replace Copo.”

“Isn’t that exactly what we’re doing?”

“Not if it’s a different kind of dog.”

Maria wasn’t as confident in Serena’s logic as her sister obviously was, but she said nothing. Steve, looking visibly nervous, greeted them as soon as they entered. After Serena offered him a hug, she introduced him to her parents. Steve eagerly led them into the back, toward the kennels.

Dogs immediately began to bark, the sound echoing off the walls. They walked slowly past the first few kennels – there was a Lab mix, a pit bull mix, and some sort of terrier – and she noted her parents’ apathy.

Ahead of them, Serena and Steve stopped at one of the smaller kennels. “How about this one?” Serena called out. Felix and Carmen headed over to her, moving reluctantly, like they’d rather be anywhere else. Maria trailed in their wake.

“What do you think?” Serena pressed.

In the kennel, Maria saw a small black-and-brown dog with a face like a teddy bear’s, sitting on its haunches, making no noise at all. Maria had to admit that it was just about the cutest thing she’d ever seen.

“He’s a shorkie tzu,” Steve offered. “It’s a mix between a shih tzu and a Yorkshire terrier. He’s very sweet and between two and three years old.”

Steve opened the kennel; reaching in, he picked up the dog and offered it to Felix. “Would you mind carrying him outside? He’d probably love some fresh air.”