50
M y feet are leaden as I walk up the stairs carrying Cholula. The store is dark, the CLOSED sign up on the front door. Thanks to Micki coming to the rescue, Harvey has been liberated from the lift and is doing a crossword puzzle in the overcast daylight coming through the window.
“How is she?” he asks, getting out of his chair.
“Lethargic. They gave her fluids and antibiotics. She should be fine.” That’s what matters most, I tell myself. Winning the show was always a long shot anyway.
I place her on the bed, and Harvey strokes her between the ears. “My poor girl.”
“I’m so sorry.” Releasing the words does little for my inner peace, but what else is there to say? “I messed up. You thought you could trust me, but—” My voice cracks.
“But you said so yourself—she’ll recover.”
I blink at him. “Not Cho. The store. I’m mortified. I’ve been so focused on training and… and other… I didn’t stay on top of things.” A sob rolls up my chest.
“Hey, now.” Harvey shuffles over to me and puts an arm around my shoulder. “I’ve made some calls. Your mother has agreed to wire enough to cover immediate bills, and the power company will flip their magic switch as soon as payment is posted. This is not the end of the world. You think this is the first time we’ve been behind on bills? One time, Martha had to pawn her mother’s bracelet until we were back in the black. Oof, did I hear about that for a good long while afterward.” His crow’s feet deepen with a lopsided smile. “Come on, let’s have some tea. We’ll get through this, kiddo. I can feel it in my bones.”
Ever the optimist.
I make us tea and heat up leftovers from a couple of nights ago on the gas stove while Harvey fusses over Cho.
“Now,” he says, after adding milk and honey to his cup, “will you tell me what’s going on with Leo?”
I suck my lips in to hold more tears at bay. “He left.” I tell him about Mr. Salinger’s visit and Leo’s subsequent departure. “Kind of feels like he showed up here for no other reason than to mess with me. With us.”
“Ha!” Harvey barks. “As if I can’t spot a lovesick puppy when I see one. Give the man some credit. Parents can be a hard nut to crack.” He raises a brow. “As you well know.”
“Yeah, but—”
He shakes his head. “I can’t tell you he’ll make the right choice in this. Only he knows that. But you can’t convince me for a moment his intentions with you were in the wrong place. And for what it’s worth, I think you know we were already having our worst summer since you moved here before he came around. This”—he gestures to the darkened light fixture above the table—“isn’t his fault.”
I let that sink in for a moment. My tea has turned dark amber and is probably too bitter to be palatable by now. Still, I stir it with my spoon. Take a sip. “Forget what I said the other day,” I say eventually. “I’ll stay here. Design school can wait. Maybe with better marketing or new promotions—”
Harvey leans forward and puts his hand on mine to stop me. “This changes nothing. You need to live your life, Cora.”
“No, I won’t back down. I’ll stay until Happy Paws does well enough that you can hire someone else to help you, no matter how long it takes. That’s final.”
“I meant what I said yesterday. You’re the best granddaughter.” His eyes twinkle and crease. “But this most certainly isn’t final.”
Errands and dog care help the afternoon pass, and after making sure Cholula is comfortable, and with a promise to be back in the morning to assist with opening the store before I take her back to the vet, I hug Harvey good night and head out.
The windows of Canine King are dark opals in the gleam of the streetlight, and I wonder what will happen to it now that Leo will be leaving. Will he sell it? Will his dad make it an official Canine King with new management? Will it go away completely, with a comic book store or shabby chic antique dealer popping up in its place?
As much as that last thought should relieve my qualms about Happy Paws, a wave of regret comes over me. Did I drive him away? His words linger in my mind: I want to be here and do this. You don’t. For all my pigeonholing Leo as the culprit in Happy Paws’ decline, I know Harvey is right—we were already doing poorly before Canine King opened. And if my heart was in it, we’d be better off, which means I’m to blame more than him for our struggles. Going forward, I’m going to have to muster up enthusiasm and work harder than I have been to pull us through. No more distractions.
“You look like shit,” Micki says after I’ve shrugged out of my jacket at home. She watches me warily and points to an open bottle of wine on the table. “Want some?”
“Please.” I grab a glass and sit down next to her. “Thanks for helping Harvey earlier.”
“No biggie. How’s Cho?”
I fill her in, and we sink into a drained silence. I don’t notice I’m crying until Micki hands me a tissue.
“She’ll be all right,” she says.
I snicker. “And the store will be all right, and Leo, and Harvey, and my whole fucking life.” I take a deep gulp from my glass. “What is it about me that makes everything turn to shit?”
“You know that’s not a thing, so don’t get me started.” Micki folds her legs up under her on the couch. “What you need is a good night’s sleep, and in today’s amazing news, Jaz packed up early, so you can have the room back. I already put new sheets on the bed.”
I blow my nose and sit back against the cushions. “As sad as it may sound, that is probably the best thing I’ve heard all week.”
Micki smiles. “Then wait until you see this.” She pulls up her phone and shows me the screen. “I passed my finals! See—you help good things happen, too.”
“Aww.” I hug her. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Couldn’t have done it without you. So shake off this mood, okay? We’re looking forward now.” She stretches her arms above her head. “What happens tomorrow? What do I need to know?”
Micki has agreed to work the booth at the fair while I take Cho back to the vet.
“I’ve got the boxes in my car. Setup starts at eight, and I’ll do that with you before I open the store. We have a good spot.” I get my phone from my purse to check the exact location of our booth and show her the layout. “Cho’s appointment is at eleven, so I should be back around twelve, twelve thirty.”
“Perfect. I don’t start my shift until two at the salon.”
“Thank you. Again.”
She studies the schedule for the day in silence. “I’m sorry you won’t be able to do the show.”
I nod, my eyes stinging. “Me too. Ugh, you’re going to make me cry again.”
“No, no more crying. Here, have some more wine.”
I cover my glass. “I’m good. I should get to bed.” Dog show or not, the first day of Winter Fest is always a big one. I grab my things and put my glass away.
“Hey,” Micki says when I’m almost to my room. “Everything will be fine. Try not to worry.”
I wish I was as certain as she is.