the recliner. He’d never left his side. Now he mostly slept in his favorite spot on the couch where he used to snuggle with Jean, occasionally opening his eyes to make sure Theo was nearby.
Tired already after only a few blocks, Theo gave in and sat down on the wooden bench overlooking the west side of the lake. He and Jean had sat there almost daily. It was still morning, so only a few joggers were out and a couple of people walking dogs. A fishing boat caught his attention as it left the pier, probably heading out for bass.
On the sandy beach down below, Theo watched Logan the lifeguard setting up for the day, getting ready for the beachgoers who would soon overtake the sand. He was glad to see him back again with his family this summer.
"Such a fine young man," he said to the dog. "His whole life is in front of him." Theo remembered working as a lifeguard at a local pool when he was in college. Mostly he’d liked the job in hopes of meeting girls.
Yes, he was talking out loud to the dog now. There was no one else to talk to. Theo's life was behind him. There wasn't a part of his body that didn't remind him of that daily, especially his heart.
“Jean,” he whispered. This was their spot. If she could still hear him, it would be here. “I’m walking the dog, like you asked. But I’m getting a bit worried about the old boy.”
Theo could almost hear her answering him. “You two just need to get out more. Remember, you promised me.”
Theo lowered his head. He was not sure how much longer he could keep that promise. Some mornings it was only the thought of Wally needing to go out that forced him out of bed. If the dog… “Don’t go there,” he told himself.
A young girl's voice cut through his foggy brain.
"Scarlett, come back here," she said.
A red-haired, little poodle ran up to Wally, nudged him, and wanted to play. Theo remembered seeing that dog now and then, but not so much lately. Wally allowed a polite sniff and proceeded to do the same to the perky dog.
"I'm sorry if she's bothering you,” the girl said. “When she saw your dog, she just pulled the leash right out of my hand."
Theo blocked the sun from his eyes with his hand. The teenage girl looked sweet, with her soft eyes and flowing, brown hair.
"That's okay. Wally doesn’t seem to mind.”
"Cute dog," she said.
Theo watched Wally flop to the ground and ignore the young pup. "Wally has not been his usual self lately.”
The girl’s eyebrows knit together. "Oh, what's wrong with him?"
"Old age, like me," Theo said.
The teenager chuckled. “Is that all? I don’t think that will stop Scarlett.”
Theo glanced down and saw that the two dogs were sniffing each other again, both their tails wagging.
“Maybe Wally just needs a friend," he said. “I haven't seen that old dog perk up like that in a long time."
"They might just be lonely,” she said. "My grandma's dog doesn't get out much since Grandpa died. Everybody needs friends."
Wise words from such a young girl, Theo thought. The dogs were playing together in earnest now and his heart warmed at the sight. He took a close look at this young girl. He didn’t remember seeing her before. Her doe eyes showed a deep sadness that he could recognize. "So, do you have friends here?” he asked, nodding toward the lake.
She shrugged. "I’ve only been here a few days. I’m just visiting and I haven't made any yet.”
"Why is that? You're young. I used to have a lot of friends when I was your age. It was so easy then."
"Maybe so, but…well, my mom moves a lot, and I’ve gone to many different schools. I never really get time to make friends."
"Oh," Theo said, looking back down at the ground. A bit of a lost soul, he thought, and his heart went out to her. The two dogs were prancing around, and Wally looked almost back to his old self.
"Maybe we could walk together sometime," she asked. "The dogs seem happy."
"They sure do.” Theo could feel the start of a smile. He weighed the thought of having to be responsible to show up and meet another person against his recent reclusiveness.
The girl gave Theo a bright smile. "By the way, I'm Shelby and this is my grandma's dog, Scarlett."
A bicyclist sped by, catching Wally and Scarlett’s