“It’s all right, really. I’m going to Denise’s Christmas Day, and it looks like I’ll have company on Christmas Eve,” Catherine said, looking down at the little dog curled up in her lap.
“You want to keep her?” he asked eagerly.
“I’ll keep her through Christmas. Then your family can have her.”
“I bet by the time we get back you won’t want to give her up,” Will said.
“A dog is a lot of work and I’m going to be...busy.”
“Like I said, we’ll help you take care of her. At least see if you like her.”
She hadn’t had a dog since their old basset hound, Sherlock, died. The kids had been in high school then and she and Bill had opted out of getting another pet.
Catherine sighed. “Animals are a lot of work. I’m going to have to go out and buy dog food.”
“No, you won’t. I’ve got it in the car. And a dog bed, travel crate, leash, chew toy. You name it. Gabby went crazy. Oh, one more thing.” He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a check. “Sorry it took me so long to pay you back.”
The money she’d lent him. “You didn’t have to,” she said. But it made her happy that he did.
“Yeah, I did. I know I don’t tell you often enough, Mom, but I really do appreciate all you’ve done for us. All you do. Anything you need once you start chemo, you just say the word.”
She nodded, her throat too clogged with emotion to speak.
“Hey, I’ll go get Cookie’s stuff. Okay?”
“Okay.” Not that Catherine was going to keep the dog but the poor thing had to stay someplace until Will returned. “And I’ll fill a plate with some cookies for all of you,” she said. “I just baked this afternoon.”
“The boys will love that,” he said.
Her son went to fetch Cookie’s things and Catherine went out to the kitchen to load treats into a cookie tin. The dog trotted after her and sat observing while she worked.
“I bet you think you’re going to get some of this,” Catherine said.
Cookie’s tail thumped.
“Well, you’re not. These wouldn’t be good for you. They won’t be good for me, either, but I’m a human and I get to make bad choices.”
Listen to her. She was already talking to the dog like they were boon companions. Good grief.
She gathered the presents for Will’s family into another couple of shopping bags while he brought in all of Cookie’s things, set the dog bed on the floor in Catherine’s bedroom and stowed the dog food in the pantry after pouring some into a double-dish dog bowl, along with water.
“I took her for a walk before we came so she should be good to go for tonight. But if you’re worried, you can let her out in the backyard.”
Where she would make a mess. Just what Catherine wanted to be doing, shoveling doggy-do. Or worse, walking the dog, plastic bag in hand, ready to do poop patrol. She was not—was not!—keeping this dog.
She handed over the treats for the family, as well as their presents, and walked her son to the door.
“You need to tell Lila,” he said.
“I will.”
“If you don’t, I will,” he threatened. Then he bent over, gave her a hug. “We’ll FaceTime you Christmas morning. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said. FaceTime was better than no time.
She thought for sure the little dog would want to trot out the door after him, but Cookie stayed by her side, then followed her back into the living room, settling at her feet once Catherine was back on the couch.
“You’re awfully well behaved. You know that?” Catherine said to the dog, and Cookie barked and wagged her tail. “I suppose you’d like to sit up here with me.”
Another woof and tail wag.
“All right. But we’re not going to make a habit of this,” Catherine said, and picked up the dog. She set Cookie next to her and scratched behind her ears. Cookie promptly fell onto her back, eager for a belly rub. “What’s your story, anyway?” Catherine asked as she obliged. “Somebody must have loved you. Did your owner die? I guess we’ll never know. You’ll make a nice houseguest.” And that was all Cookie was going to be because her son was getting this dog back as soon as he got home.
Meanwhile, though...the house suddenly didn’t seem so empty.
“Let’s watch a movie, shall we?” Catherine asked. She picked up the TV remote and Cookie snuggled up