Long coat. Old-fashioned hat.
I've seen him before.
"Lucky you," I mutter. "You get to avoid the athlete circus today."
I push the door open and the cold air slaps me in the face. The man startles slightly, then nods at me before walking away.
Candy and I start down the sidewalk, her nose twitching at every new smell. I keep up a running commentary like Mama Paws taught me.
"Okay, girl, we're turning left. Curb coming up—step up. Good job. You're killing it."
The snow starts almost immediately, tiny flakes drifting down from the sky. It's the kind of snow that's pretty instead of annoying, the kind that makes everything look like a movie.
Candy doesn't seem to mind. She lifts her face toward the sky like she’s enjoying snowflakes landing on her nose.
"You like that? Yeah, I thought you might."
We walk for a while, just the two of us and the quiet streets. The cold bites at my face, but I don't care. This is exactly what I needed.
No Ace. No textbooks. Just me and my favorite dog taking a walk in the snow.
"You're lucky, girl," I say to Candy. "You don't have to deal with hot straight guys who kiss like they're trying to ruin your life."
Candy's tail wags.
"Exactly. You get it."
We turn a corner and I spot a coffee shop, warm light spilling out onto the sidewalk. My fingers are going numb.
"What do you think? Hot chocolate break?"
Candy doesn't object, so I take that as permission.
The barista doesn't even blink when I walk in with a dog. "She's so sweet! What's her name?"
"Candy. She's from the shelter down the street."
"Oh, I've heard about that place. You guys are doing the charity hockey game, right?"
"Yep. December twenty-third. You should come."
"I definitely will." She hands me my hot chocolate. "On the house. For the shelter."
I try to argue but she's not having it, so I accept defeat and find a corner table where Candy can lie down.
I sip my hot chocolate, watching the snow fall outside, and try not to think about Ace.
I fail immediately.
I sigh.
Candy shifts, resting her head on my foot, and I reach down to scratch behind her ears.
"I'm a mess," I tell her.
Her tail thumps once against the floor.
"Thanks for the support."
