Later that afternoon, Mae and Leo are in the sunroom, practicing Leo’s settling. This means that as long as he’s lying in a relaxed position, just chilling, he gets rewarded. Chilling is harder than it sounds for a reactive dog! But it’s an important step in his training, so he can one day live comfortably in the world with Human Leo. She imagines them hanging out on Pearl Street on a busy Saturday, one Leo drinking a latte, the other lying next to him, watching the world go by. No, that’s not right. Leo doesn’t read like a latte guy. An iced Americano, or a nitro brew.
Mae didn’t answer Tony’s text, and he hasn’t texted again, but sheknows that he will. The money she owes Tony is another worry to add to her collection of worries, all of which she has folded up neatly and tucked away so she can concentrate on Leo.
She enlists Scarlett and Evangeline to help practice. Cinnamon and Natalie are upstairs getting Caspian up from his nap, so it’s a good chance to work Leo in a controlled environment. She instructs them to walk past Leo, not too close, but close enough that he notices them.
“Pretend you’re just out for a casual stroll,” she says. “Just minding your own business, maybe having a chat.”
Scarlett and Evangeline take this very seriously. Scarlett says, “How are you?” to Evangeline, and Evangeline gives a formal little bow and says, “Fine, thank you, how are you?” It’s all quite civilized, very period-drama-with-parasols. Any minute now they may link arms and talk about which suitors they have their eyes on.
“Good job,” Mae tells them. Leo watches them carefully, then, looking back at Mae to make sure there’s no threat, relaxes onto one hip. “Good boy,” she tells Leo. “That’s perfect.”
She’s about to ask them to take another round when Calvin comes in. He’s wearing his work jeans, which he’s had probably since Mae sprouted her first tooth. They have dots and stripes of paint of all different colors, artifacts from every house project he’s undertaken. He’s probably been doing something to prepare for the open house on Sunday, but this Mae, the Mae who stillcannot believehe’s going to sell the house, will not dignify the situation by asking him what that was.
“Spackling,” he says anyway. Mae nods crisply at him, as if to saywhatever you are doing to my mother’s house you’re about to sell is of no concern to me, and continues working with Leo.
Calvin takes off his glasses, puts them on the coffee table, and rubs his eyes. He says, “Hello, ladies,” to his granddaughters, and Leo rolls his eyes toward Calvin. “You’re okay, Leo,” says Mae. Leohas a harder time with men than with little girls. This is not uncommon for rescue dogs.
“Hello,” say Scarlett and Evangeline pleasantly. Scarlett, still in character, full-on curtsies.
“Good boy, Leo. Scarlett and Evangeline, again, please. Stage right.” They look at her blankly. She points. “Start over there.”
They cross the room once more. If Mae were speaking to her father, she might ask him to take a video that she could send to Hal to show Leo’s progress. Leo is already calmer even since yesterday! Imagine how much he’ll improve by the end of the week. Evangeline and Scarlett cross the room again, and from the entryway comes a voice: “Yooo-hoooo! Anybody home?”
Leo starts, then growls, and Mae puts a hand on his side to let him know all is well.
“That’s Nikoletta,” says Calvin, rising. “She has some papers for me to sign.” He calls, “In the sunroom! Come on in!”
Mae has a thought: If Leo bit the Realtor, would that cause her to give up the listing? (She’s kidding! Mostly!) Natalie comes in just then, carrying Caspian, who is sleepy-eyed, his hair adorably mussed, and holding a sippy cup. At the same time the woman from yesterday comes from the entryway. She’s carrying a manila folder and a cell phone.
“Ah, Nikoletta, hello! These are two of my daughters.”
“We met,” says Mae icily.Under false pretenses,she adds in her mind.
“Oh, right! You’ve met Mae. This is Natalie. And her children, Scarlett, Evangeline, and Caspian.”
“Hello! What an adorable little boy!” Nikoletta exclaims, looking at Caspian. He grins and offers her his sippy cup.
“He wants you to have some milk,” explains Scarlett.
“How nice!” says Nikoletta. “And I certainly would, but I’m vegan.”
“What’s vegan?” asks Evangeline.
Mae watches Natalie tense. She says, “Vegans are people whodon’t eat any animal products.” Mae can see her sister working out how far to take this instructional moment.
“Are we vegans?” Scarlett asks her mother.
“No, honey.”
“Milk is an animal product,” Mae explains.
Evangeline asks, “Why don’t they drink it?”
Mae can see the Realtor warming to the topic. It’s like they’re on a roller coaster that is at the top of the hill and about to plunge down, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. “Well, people can be vegan for lots of different reasons,” explains Nikoletta. “For me, it’s because I believe animals have the right to their own uncomplicated existence, that they aren’t ours to exploit for our own use.”
Scarlett asks, “What’sexploit?”
Mae clears her throat and asks, “Did you have some papers for Dad to sign?”
