“I can’t believe you did either,” I teased, trying to keep the mood light. Truthfully, I had no idea if this foster situation would work out, but I was hopeful. “And speaking of bedding, do you want to swap out what’s on the bed before you sleep in here tonight?”
Phoebe’s head bowed. She let out a slow breath, and then she nodded.
We went through the closet to find clean sheets and blankets and remade the bed so it would be new for her. “There,” I said as I smoothed out the quilt. “A fresh start.”
She looked at me, eyes brimming with emotion. “I’d definitely like one of those.”
9
Phoebe
I blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling with bleary eyes before rolling to my side to look in Violet’s playpen. It was empty. Last night had been a disaster. Violet had whined and cried when I tried to close her inside the pen, but every time I opened the gate, she promptly got out and started wandering the house. Consequently, neither of us had gotten much sleep, and I had half a mind to call Taylor and ask her to take the dog back to the shelter.
But then I remembered the look on Violet’s face when she’d been in her kennel there, the resignation in her eyes. Surely I could give this another day to try to make it work. But first, I had to find Violet and hope she hadn’t destroyed anything or peed all over the exposed particle board in the living room, or worse…delivered puppies in a random corner of the house.
I climbed out of bed and tugged a sweatshirt over my tank top. I bypassed the master bathroom in favor of the guest bath in the hall where all my things were. It had been weird sleeping in my grandmother’s room last night. I’d thought it might be depressing or even creepy, but oddly, I’d felt closer to her there, almost like I could feel her presence in the room. It might have been comforting if I’d actually gotten the chance to rest instead of chasing after Violet all night.
I freshened up and went down the hall, where Violet was curled in a tight ball on the dog bed in the living room. “You didn’t have puppies out here by yourself, did you?”
She raised her head and stared at me. She didn’t look happy, but I didn’t see any puppies, at least, or any obvious signs that she’d gotten into trouble out here by herself.
“I bet you’re ready to go out.” I picked up the leash on the kitchen counter.
Violet got to her feet, and she was definitely still pregnant, thank goodness. I clipped the leash onto her collar and led the way out the back door. She squatted to do her business, and then I led her around the perimeter of the backyard for good measure.
“If this is going to work, you and I are going to have to get to know each other, I think,” I told her. “I’m guessing if you weren’t pregnant, you’d enjoy a nice hike in the woods the way Taylor does with her dogs.”
Violet cocked her head to the side, staring at me.
“But maybe what you actually want right now is breakfast. Actually, so do I. And coffee, but that’s just for me.” I wasn’t sure why I was talking out loud to her, but she seemed like she might like it. She watched me closely every time I spoke to her.
What was I going to do with her? Last night hadn’t gone well, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t happy here. We went back inside, and I took off her leash before walking to the instructions Taylor had left for me. Violet would get a mixture of wet and dry food, the same as she had for dinner last night. “I do think it’s funny that you eat puppy chow,” I told her as I popped open a can and began to mix it all together. According to Taylor, Violet needed the extra calories.
I put the bowl on the floor and turned my attention to my own breakfast. I flipped on the coffee machine and popped a bagel in the toaster. My phone chimed with an incoming text message.
How did her first night go?
It was from Taylor, of course. And I shouldn’t feel a thrill at the sight of her name, because she was only inquiring about the dog.
Rough. She hates the pen we made her, I replied.
I have an idea for that. I’ll stop by after work, if that’s okay.
Sure.
Call me if you have any questions today.
I put my phone down, frustration rising in my chest as I looked at the living room, which was completely torn apart. I had so much work to do here, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get anything done today but worry about Violet.
I spread jam onto my bagel, poured myself a mug of coffee, and sat at the kitchen table. I had no idea what to do with a dog all day. My grandma had always had a dog around, but I couldn’t remember what Cometdidall day. Sleep? Chew on a bone? Maybe I should give Violet some toys to play with.
“You don’t look like you’d play with toys,” I told her before biting into my bagel. On the contrary, Violet might be the most serious dog I’d ever met. If she were a person, I was sure she’d never smile.
Right now, she lay with her head between her front paws, watching me eat my breakfast now that she’d finished her own. Maybe she’d like to watch me do some work around the house later too. But first, we sat and stared at each other while I finished my bagel and coffee. It was unnerving. She didn’t seem to blink very often.
To distract myself, I picked up my phone and started thumbing through my notifications. My friend Courtney had texted to ask how things were going in Vermont and to let me know #girlagainstthepatriarchy had finally stopped trending on Twitter. I had deleted the app from my phone before I left Boston. I’d been proud of the photo for a hot second before it destroyed my life. Now I never wanted to see it again.
When you get back to Boston, we should talk.
