“Aw, are you nesting?” I asked as my heart turned all warm and mushy. “Is this a thing you do to get ready for motherhood?”
Violet nuzzled one of the stuffed animals and looked at me, quiet and serious as always.
“I think you’ll be a good mom.” I reached over and rubbed her behind her ears, rewarded by more tail wagging.
Violet’s belly twitched, andoh, was that a puppy moving? I rubbed my hand down her side, and something moved beneath my fingers.
“That’s amazing,” I said as I felt it again, a definite wiggle from inside her stomach. It was exciting, but also terrifying because it meant I would soon be looking after puppies.
My phone started to ring where it lay on the bed. I gave Violet one last pat before I stood to get it. My friend Emily was FaceTiming me, and I squealed as I connected the call and her face appeared on my screen. “Em!”
She beamed at me from her couch. “I’m so happy I finally caught you.”
“Me too.”
“How’s Vermont?” she asked. “And tell me about this new foster dog. How did that happen? I want to know everything.”
“I see you’ve been talking to Courtney,” I teased as I sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed. I’d FaceTimed with Courtney yesterday, and the three of us generally shared everything. I missed my friends something fierce.
“I have,” Emily confirmed. “And from what I gather, there’s a girl involved.”
“She’s just a friend,” I said, even though my feelings for Taylor weren’t very friendly today. “We knew each other when we were kids.”
“And now?” Emily asked.
“Now I barely know her at all,” I said, but I knew I was busted by the look on Emily’s face. “Fine. We were more than friends when we were teenagers.”
“I knew it,” Emily said triumphantly. “Oh my God. Was she your first?”
“First kiss, yes, but we never had sex, and it’s not why I agreed to the foster dog.”
Emily lifted an eyebrow. “Isn’t it? Because I don’t think you’d bring home a pregnant dog ifIasked.”
I sighed, glancing at Violet, who was asleep in her pen. “Well, maybe I felt like I owed her one because I ran out on her when we were teenagers. But also, the dog is really cute.”
“Can I see her?” Emily asked, sounding excited at the prospect. She loved animals, but with two little kids underfoot, she had her hands full at the moment.
“Sure.” I slid off the bed and went to sit beside Violet’s pen, turning the phone so Emily could see her.
“Aw, she has such a sweet face. I can’t wait to see pictures of the puppies,” Emily said. “Although I’m glad you’re the one dealing with them instead of me. I’ve got enough butts to wipe as it is.”
“Oh God. I don’t have to wipe their butts, do I?” I asked, horrified.
Emily shrugged. “I don’t know.” A shriek echoed from her end of the line, and she made a face. “Sounds like I’d better go check on the munchkins, but call me again soon, okay? I’m going to need frequent Taylor—and puppy—updates.”
“Will do, although Taylor’s just a friend these days, I swear. Give Noah and Lily a kiss for me.”
“You got it.” With a wave, Emily disappeared from my screen.
I spent another hour or so packing up my grandma’s clothes, and then I went down the hall to wait for Taylor’s volunteers Holly and Peyton to arrive. They’d both raised litters of puppies in the past and were going to show me the ropes. While I waited, I sat at the piano and began to play, practicing a few of the songs I would perform at V and V next week.
I heard the click of Violet’s nails on the floor and turned to see her walking into the living room. She lay in the dog bed there and watched me play, and I wasn’t sure why, but I had the definite impression she liked it. She seemed to relax as she listened, lying with her head between her front paws. Maybe I should play for her more often.
There was a knock at the door, and I stood from the piano. I opened it to find two women standing there. One was a petite blonde with a baby on her hip. The other woman was tall, with dark brown skin and a warm smile.
“Hi,” I said, motioning them in. “Thanks so much for coming.”
“We’re happy to help,” the taller woman said. “I’m Holly. It’s so nice to meet you.”
