Alara nodded."I'm not so sure about that sometimes.I'm lucky to have her, but I feel like she didn't do so well in the parent lottery."
"Don't say that.You might be struggling a bit at the moment, but she's such a wonderful little person, and that's because of you.Things will come together.I know they will."
"I'm glad you have faith," said Alara."Mine's starting to run out."
"Well, listen, if there's anything I can do — I don't have anything going on for the next few days.If you want, I'll drive up there to Oregon with you."
Alara's eyes widened."You'd do that?"
"I would.I'd love to be able to do more than that.I'd love to be able to help you figure out how to stay here, how to not have to take a job.But since I don't have any of those answers, I'll do whatever I can to help you take the only option that's available."
Alara reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze."Thank you.You know I can't accept the offer though, don't you?"
Callie nodded sadly."I figured as much.But you have to promise me that if you need me, you'll call me, okay?If there's anything I can do, I want to do it."
"Thank you.I really will keep in touch.But for now, I should probably go and make sure that Little Miss gets to bed."
Callie got to her feet."I'll leave you to it."
She held her arms out, and as Alara stepped in for a hug, Callie noticed just how frail she felt.There was genuine affection in that hug.Alara's eyes shone with tears as she stepped back.
"Thank you.I'll call you and let you know when we're settled, okay?"
"Okay."Callie gave her arm a squeeze."Or call me if you need me, promise?"
Alara nodded.
And it was only as she drove away that Callie realized that Alara hadn't actually promised.
~ ~ ~
"Guys."Ollie gave Peanut and Butter a stern look when he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist after his shower to find the dogs sitting on his bed, panting eagerly."You know you're not supposed to be up here."
Peanut gave him a guilty look, but Butter gave a sharp bark.
"All right, all right, I know what you're thinking.You keep your word — or at least do as you're told.Play by the rules when I keep my end of the bargain.And I haven't lately, have I?Sorry, guys.I said I'd spend more time with you after the wedding was over."He chuckled at himself for explaining himself like this to the dogs.But that was just the way things worked around here."Yesterday I got to hang out with Callie.I didn't know that I'd be gone so long.But we have today, and Reaves is coming over."
Peanut gave a contented little whine.
"Yeah, yeah, I know you guys both love Reaves.It seemed to me you were taken with Callie as well."
Butter barked again.
"You almost blew it for me though, you know.Running back here the way you did."
That guilty feeling settled in his chest when Peanut growled at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know.It's not your fault that I'm hiding something, is it?"
He continued talking to them while he finished getting dried and dressed."It's not as though I'm just hiding something though, is it?I'm hiding everything."
Butter came and leaned against his legs.
"Okay, so I didn't hide the most important thing; I didn't hide you guys.But I have to tell her, don't I?"
They both barked at that.
Ollie had to wonder what other people would think if they could hear this conversation — and in his mind it really was a conversation.He felt as though the dogs understood every word, and from the way they answered, it seemed that they did.
