Midge immediately put her front paws on his knee, and then after another pause, Joseph put his hand on her head.
Midge’s tail began to wag immediately.
“She likes you,” Albina said.
“She likes everyone,” Joseph said, but he kept his hand where it was.
“She likes some people more than others,” Temperance said. “She liked you from the first night, in the hallway. I would take it as a compliment.”
She could see him blush, and found the sight rather endearing.
“Don’t you get tired of taking care of so many animals?” he asked after a moment. “I mean, it is quite the responsibility. Three dogs and a cat.”
“I don’t mind it,” Temperance shrugged her shoulders, but was secretly glad that he was taking an interest in her world. That was the first step in converting him, she thought to herself. “Besides, I’ve always been very fond of animals.”
“I can see that,” he sighed, and went back to petting Midge.
“I think they’re growing on you, as well.”
“Me?” Joseph’s eyes widened as if she had said something preposterous.
“At least it seems like that,” Temperance replied, not wanting to push the topic.
“Did you have animals? At Sedgewick?” Albina chimed in.
Joseph looked up.
“No,” he said. “My father doesn’t…he prefers things to be orderly.”
“Mmm,” Albina said, “And before Sedgewick? When you were very small?”
“We were always at Sedgewick,” Joseph said. “You see, my mother didn’t like to travel.”
Albina made a small sound of acknowledgment and returned to her embroidery, and the conversation might have ended there, but Joseph had more to say on the topic.
“She didn’t like a great many things,” he continued.
Temperance kept her eyes on her book, but her curiosity had been piqued.
Albina set down her embroidery and looked at the boy with the careful, unhurried attention she brought to people she was listening to properly.
“No?” she said.
“She was…” Joseph looked down at his lap for a moment, “She was not well. For a long time, I think. Before I was old enough to understand it. I don’t remember her very well, I was young when things changed.”
“That’s all right,” Albina said gently. “You don’t have to remember.”
“I remember some things,” Joseph said. He seemed to want to say it, but was full of reservations. “She used to scratch her hands. When she was upset, which was often, she would scratch until… well, until she saw blood.”
He stopped for moment, and suddenly the room felt heavier.
“My father kept me away from her after a while. I didn’t understand why then,” he paused. “I think I understand better now.”
“I..” Albina shot her daughter a look. Both of them were unsure of what to say. But Joseph did not seem to care. In fact, it looked like he wanted to keep talking till his heart desired, almost as if he had not been given the chance to speak about this before.
“And then one day,” Joseph said, “she was simply gone. My father told me she had gone away and didn’t bother to say where.” He looked up, briefly, and then back down at Midge. “He still doesn’t say but I think..”
He stopped again, and something moved in his face, “I think it was not somewhere good.”
