ChapterOne
Daphne
“Come on, babies, let’s get ready to go,” I holler through the condo.
The quiet is broken by huffing, chuffing, and nails clicking against the laminate floor.Both of my English bulldogs come barreling toward me, bouncing at my feet.
“Do my baby girls want to take Mommy for a walk before I drop you off at daycare?”I ask.
The youngest, Buttercup, whines and barks in response.
“Shh, Buttercup.Inside voice,” I order her, and she answers with a soft whimper.
After clipping their leashes to their collars, I tighten my grip before opening the door.We step into the hallway and head for the elevator.
My phone starts ringing from somewhere deep inside my oversized bag.I fish around for it, annoyed I didn’t put it in its usual pocket instead of tossing it in carelessly.
“Well, shoot.Where is it?”
Still digging, I don’t notice the elevator stopping on my floor.The doors slide open and Buttercup, not quite trained yet, makes a mad dash, jerking my arm with her.
“Dang it,” I curse as my makeup bag falls to the floor.I bend down to grab it and shove my hip into the opening to keep the doors from closing.
“You could wait for the next elevator, you know.”A pissy voice cuts through my frantic digging and trying to calm my dogs.
“I’m sorry, just a moment.”
I look up at the woman in the perfectly coiffed jacket dress.Her hair is smooth, makeup flawless.Heat creeps into my face as I straighten to my five-foot-three height.
I’m in my work uniform of cargo khaki slacks and a long-sleeved button-up with the aquarium’s logo on the breast.Comfortable tennis shoes hug my feet, while this woman is perched in sky-high heels.
As soon as the doors close and I have the girls sitting calmly at my feet, my phone starts ringing again.This time I ignore it.I don’t want to embarrass myself further.
The woman turns her nose up at me.When she looks down at my babies snorting the way English Bulldogs do, she steps back like they might touch her or give her something.They won’t.
Dori, two years older than Buttercup, sits perfectly at my feet.Her bright pink collar and bow on the leash stand out against her tri lilac merle coat.Her blue eyes look up at me, and I can almost hear her saying, “What’s up with this lady?”
I barely hold in the snort.
Buttercup isn’t so quiet.She huffs and chuffs her disagreement.She has a fawn-and-white coat and deep, soulful dark eyes.Like her sister, she has a bow, but all her colors are lavender.
Both are my perfect little babies.My parents said I was crazy getting them while working full time and being single, but I needed the companionship.They think it’s a form of anxiety, this fear of being alone.
I’ve always had someone around me.My twin sister was there with me in the womb, but when we chose to go our separate ways for college, I was lonely.
Delphi is four minutes older than me.I’m the quiet, introverted one.She’s loud and puts herself out there.My mother says Delphi came into this world kicking and screaming and will go out the same way.I’m the wallflower, standing back, letting my sister lead the way.
The elevator doors open, and I step out into the main lobby.I set my bag on a nearby table and rummage through it until I find my phone.Two missed calls from Delphi light up the screen.I call her back immediately.
“Hey, Daphy, what took you so long?”Her voice comes through the line.I glance around to make sure the vapid woman is gone before I answer.
“I was trying to get the girls out for a walk and couldn’t find my phone.Then this woman got upset with me for holding up the elevator.”
“Did you tell her to fuck off?”
“Well, no.But Dori was not impressed with her.”
“Of course she wasn’t.How are my baby girls doing?”
