15. Kara
15
Kara
Monday
A s Kara waited for Ethan’s arrival, she threw herself into the morning chores. She fed the dogs, filled their water bowls, let them out into the yard for their bathroom breaks, and performed basic health checks on each animal ... By the time she finished, nearly three hours had passed.
Where could he be?
Kara paced the worn linoleum, her eyes flicking to the clock every few seconds. The makeup she’d applied earlier—something she rarely bothered with—now felt like a mistake. Doubts crept in, echoing the disappointments of the past.
Did I say something wrong yesterday? Maybe he’s changed his mind about coming, just like he changed his mind about calling.
She shook her head, pushing the thoughts away.
Why do I even care what he thinks?
Kara began shuffling through papers on the reception desk when the lobby door swung open and Ethan walked in.
“Kara, I’m so sorry I’m late. I—”
“You could’ve called,” Kara cut in.
A heavy silence fell between them. Kara’s cheeks flushed as she realized how sharp her words had sounded.
Kara sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I really do appreciate you being here.”
Ethan shifted on his feet, running a hand through his hair. “No, you’re right. I should’ve called. This morning’s been a disaster.”
His eyes flicked to hers. He let out a sigh and licked his lips before continuing. “Had to call a locksmith to the house. They kept saying ‘soon,’ you know? But after waiting forever, turns out they can’t make it till later, whenever that is.”
Another quiet stretch settled between them as Kara listened, half-wondering what his excuse was for twenty-two years ago, half-tempted to add this to the growing tally of letdowns in her mind. Yet she couldn’t take her eyes off him, watching as he glanced around the lobby like some shamed puppy.
It was her turn to sigh.
He offered an apologetic smile. “So, uh, where do you want me to start?”
“Mom!”
Kara and Ethan both turned to face the side door. “Charlotte?”
Kara watched her daughter’s eyes grow wide as she stepped into the lobby at the unexpected presence of— “Ethan!”
For a moment, the three of them stood in silence—Kara caught between her daughter and her past, Ethan looking slightly out of place, and Charlotte’s eyes ping-ponging between the two.
Kara blinked, swallowing hard. “Charlotte, weren’t you supposed to be with friends today?”
“Yeah, plans fell through. Thought I’d make myself useful here instead.” Turning to the familiar face, she extended a polite greeting. “Good morning, Ethan. Decided to volunteer after all?”
Ethan nodded. “That’s right. Nice to see you again, Charlotte.”
“Likewise,” Charlotte replied, then clapped her hands together. “All right, Mom, what’s on the agenda?”
Kara put her hands on her hips. “Let’s start with the kennels.”
Ethan held open the double doors, letting Charlotte and Kara walk through first. Excited barks and whines filled the air, with eager paws scratching at kennel gates as they walked down the aisle.
Kara scanned the room. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. We’re gonna work in shifts, grouping the dogs strategically.” She turned to Charlotte. “You’ll start by taking out our social butterflies—Freckles, Oliver, Penny, Juniper, and Pepper—into the yard.”
Charlotte gave a mock salute. “Aye aye, captain.”
“Ethan,” Kara continued, “while Charlotte has that group out, you’ll change the bedding in their empty cages. I’ll handle the mopping. Then we’ll rotate through the more skittish dogs, the seniors, and finally the puppies. This way, we can clean more efficiently and cater to each group’s needs.”
Ethan nodded. “Smart setup, Kara. I’ll get right on it.”
As they set to work, Kara marveled at the seamless rhythm that they quickly established, moving around each other with an almost choreographed efficiency. Tasks that usually consumed her entire day seemed to fly by with their combined effort. How long had it been since she had help with daily chores? She’d almost forgotten what it felt like.
With the afternoon carrying on, Kara couldn’t help but watch Charlotte and Ethan interact. The similarities between them were striking—not only their physical features, but their mannerisms, and the way they approached tasks. When it came time to take out the senior dogs, Kara watched as Ethan gently helped Charlotte with Benny, taking special care in securing the leash and guiding the old dog to the yard. Then when it came time for the puppies the two must have spent thirty minutes snuggling and playing with the little fuzz balls. The ease with which they clicked—it was almost too much.
He doesn’t even know she’s his.
The thought stabbed at her heart, but now wasn’t the time.
Soon. I’ll tell him soon. Both of them.
Just then, Charlotte’s melodious laughter rang out, light and carefree, pulling Kara from her thoughts. It was in response to one of Ethan’s playful remarks, and the sound tugged at Kara’s heart. Blinking rapidly to clear her eyes, she drew in a deep breath to steady herself. With a quiet exhale, she turned back to the task at hand, pulling out the bedding from the next cage.
The work continued steadily, the familiar scent of disinfectant and lemon cleaner filling the air and mingling with the occasional bark or whine. The cool linoleum floor squeaked beneath her feet as she moved from cage to cage. When she neared the end of the cleaning routine, Kara heard the back door open and turned.
Ethan had stepped inside, wiping his hands on his jeans, leaving faint streaks behind. “Last bunch is all set in the shade,” he reported, reaching for a fresh bag of bedding. “How’s it going on this end?”
Kara gestured to the nearly finished row. “Getting there. Got these last few left.”
As Ethan joined her in tackling the remaining row of kennels, Kara decided to take a chance on some casual conversation. “So, where are you living now?”
“Virginia,” he answered. “Been there for a while, after I left the army.” Ethan took over pulling the bedding from the cages.
Kara noticed a faint scar on Ethan’s forearm. Without thinking, she reached out, her fingers hovering above his skin. “Is that from—?”
“Yeah, from my time in the service.” Ethan glanced down, tracing an invisible line around the wound. “It’s all healed up now, though.”
Kara nodded, withdrawing her hand. “I saw about the Silver Star in the paper.”
Ethan shrugged. “Just did what needed to be done,” he murmured. “What about you? Have you been in Hadley Cove this whole time?”
Kara let out a soft, wistful laugh. “You mean for the past two decades? Yeah, I’ve been here. Never saw a reason to leave, you know? And then with the rescue. Well, it kept me here.” She paused. “Plus, with Charlotte, I figured a place like this would be good for her. Stable, you know?”
“Well, it seems like you raised her right. She’s a good kid.”
Kara chewed on her bottom lip. “She is—she’s wonderful.”
The words hung in the air, and Kara felt the weight of her unspoken truth pressing down on her. Her heart raced as she imagined the possible outcomes.
What if he storms out, and I never see him again?
Or what if ... What if he wants to be part of our lives?
What if he says he wants to, but never calls?
Kara took a deep breath, the conflicting scenarios swirling in her mind.
I have to tell him. Both of them. Soon. But how?
“Kara?”
Stumbling out of her thoughts, Kara looked up. “Yeah? Sorry, I was just—yeah, what’s up?”
Ethan’s voice pulled her back. “Were you gonna mop these kennels?” he asked, reaching for the mop. “Because if not, I can do it.”
“Of course! Sorry.” She looked up at him and smiled. “I can do it—I don’t mind.”
“Sure.” Ethan’s fingers lingered on the mop handle before he let go, and Kara took a second to gather herself, pushing away the small knot of nerves in her stomach.
Relax, it’s just Ethan. Like old times ... Sort of.
Ethan smirked. “You know, this brings back memories.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, like closing up shop at the pharmacy, remember?”
Kara laughed. “You mean when you always made me mop the floor? I don’t think I remember you doing it even once!”
“That was wrong of me,” he admitted. Then, with a playful glint in his eye, he added, “but to be fair, I did have to take the trash out every night. You wouldn’t even touch the bins.”
Kara rolled her eyes. “Well, trash was clearly a man’s job, wasn’t it?”
“And I guess mopping was a woman’s job.” Ethan pulled the mop out of her hands. “Thankfully I don’t share that same narrow-minded view of my yesteryears.”
Kara snorted. “Yesteryears? Who are you, my grandpa?”
Ethan leaned dramatically on the mop, hunching over. “Get off my lawn, you whippersnapper!”
Laughter filled the space as Charlotte walked back inside. “What’d I miss?”
Kara waved her hand dismissively, still grinning. “Just old people talk, honey. How are the dogs doing?”
“Pretty good. The senior pups are all chilling in the shade. Tried to start a game of fetch, but no takers.” She glanced around the kennels. “You guys making progress in here?”
“Almost done.” Kara glanced over at Ethan, smiling. “Ethan is gonna mop the rest of the cages, and we’ve got all the bedding changed. This has gotta be some kind of record. Made a world of difference with y’all here, that’s for sure.”
Charlotte flashed a grin and tossed her hair with exaggerated flair. “Oh Mom, what can I say? I’m simply irreplaceable.”
Ethan’s lips quirked into a smile. “Anytime. Actually enjoyed myself.”
Once they had everything cleaned and the dogs were back in their kennels, Charlotte, Ethan, and Kara walked back out into the lobby. Kara stole glances at Ethan, noting how easily he had fit into their routine. The day had flown by, and she realized she wasn’t ready for it to end.
Ethan seemed to sense her gaze and turned, catching her eye. For a moment, they stood there, the air between them charged with unspoken words and shared memories. Kara opened her mouth, unsure of what she was about to say, when Charlotte’s voice cut through the moment.
“So, any plans for later?” Charlotte said, turning to Ethan.
“Got some work to do at Dad’s place. Then I was thinking about hitting up Phil’s for dinner.” He glanced between Kara and Charlotte. “What about you two? Any plans?”
Kara looked over at Charlotte. “Well, we were—”
Charlotte’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Mom is completely free tonight!” She nudged Kara with her elbow. “You should totally go with him, Mom.”
“Charlotte, I—”
“I would go too, but I have a date with Netflix and a pack of Oreos,” Charlotte continued, winking at Ethan.
Ethan chuckled. “Hard to compete with that.”
Charlotte snapped her fingers. “Oh! That reminds me. I heard what Ada said at the adoption event.” She looked between Kara and Ethan, her eyebrows raised. “Were you two really a thing back in the day?”
Kara’s heart dropped, and she hesitated. “Uh, we—”
Ethan jumped in, “We were friends. Worked at the pharmacy together one summer.”
Kara’s smile wavered for a moment, the word ‘friends’ echoing in her mind.
Is that really all it was?
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Maybe it was better this way—keeping things simple. But the secret she was keeping felt like a tightening knot in her chest, winding more with each moment.
“Ahh, I see,” Charlotte nodded. “Well, I guess your friend date should be fun.” She emphasized ‘friend’ with exaggerated air quotes.
“Charlotte!” Kara swatted her daughter’s arm.
Charlotte turned to Ethan, stage-whispering, “Mom needs to get out more, you know.”
“I get out plenty, thank you very much,” Kara said, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.
“Sure, Mom. Whatever you say.” Charlotte grinned, heading toward the door. “Love you, Mom! Have fun on your not-date !” she called over her shoulder, disappearing before Kara could respond.
Ethan laughed. “She’s quite the character.”
Kara sighed, shaking her head. “That she is.”
“So,” Ethan said, “what do you say? Want to join me at Phil’s tonight? For old times’ sake?”
Kara’s heart pounded as she found her head bobbling. “Yeah? Yeah. Sure. Of course. Why not? That sounds nice. What time?”
Ethan chuckled. “How about I pick you up at seven?”
“Works for me,” Kara replied, her voice slightly higher than usual. “See you then.”
As Ethan walked out, Kara stood there, heart pounding, her mind racing to catch up. She’d agreed to dinner with him—just like that.
How did I let that happen?
And more importantly, what am I gonna wear?