She finished her sandwich, wadding up the wrapper, and then took a deep sip of her ginger ale. “Yes. That’s another thing best done face-to-face, I think. I’ll tell them Sunday.”
Now that they’d both finished eating, she checked her watch. “I don’t want to hog this table,” she said, pushing to her feet. “I’ve only got a few minutes before I need to get back to work. Thank you for bringing me lunch.”
“You’re welcome.” He followed her back into the hall. “When’s your next day off?”
“Sunday.”
“May I see you?” he asked.
“I’m going up to Oak Park, remember?” she replied.
“After? How about dinner?”
Shaking her head, she considered. “I’ll let you know.”
“Fair enough,” he replied. “I’ll pick you up after you get off.” And then he walked away without a backward glance.
She watched him go, her emotions conflicted. Once, he would have kissed her goodbye. Though she certainly knew she couldn’t return to that past, to that place in time, she missed that kiss with a sudden aching yearning.
The rest of her shift passed uneventfully, a blessing and a respite in a nurse’s day. Carly had chosen pediatric nursing early in her career, though she had to do a required stint as an ER nurse before moving to the children’s floor. She’d gravitated toward the NICU, where the most seriously ill or premature babies were cared for.
She loved her job, despite getting her heart broken on those awful days when they lost a patient. She always cried, as did most of the other nurses and doctors on her team.
Shaking her head to clear away those dark thoughts, Carly finished up her charts and got ready to hand everything over to the night nurse who’d be arriving soon. She had to admit the thought of seeing Micha again made her heart beat a little faster. Though she knew it might be foolish, she couldn’t contain the quick rush of joy she felt seeing him pull up in front of the hospital entrance and wave to her.
Getting in the car also brought back an odd combination of nostalgia and uncertainty. To cover, she checked her watch. “We’ve got to hurry. I don’t want to be late for the vet appointment.”
“Okay. All your supplies are in bags in the back seat.”
She turned to look. “Thank you. I’ll write you a check later.” Locating the collar and leash, she removed the price tags. “I’m going to need these.”
Once they reached her house, she jumped out of the car. “I’ll be right back.” As she unlocked her door, she wondered how much damage the stray dog might have done. She’d barricaded her in the kitchen with an old comforter to sleep on, food and water in old plastic bowls, and she’d also laid out newspaper near the back door in case of accidents.
When she stepped inside, her house seemed quiet. A bit apprehensive, she walked back to the kitchen, moving away the old baby gate she’d pulled from the garage.
Bridget sat on the old comforter where she’d made a nest. She eyed Carly warily, though her ears remained up and her tail wagged. She’d eaten all the boiled chicken, but as far as Carly could tell, there’d been no potty accidents.
Moving slowly, Carly crouched down and reached to put on the collar. To her surprise, the dog lowered her head and allowed this. Since Carly had already attached the leash, she stood and gave a little tug to see if Bridget would follow her.
The dog slowly got to her feet and did.
Carly led her outside, locking the door behind her. Signaling to Micha to wait, she took Bridget to the side grass, waiting while the dog relieved herself.
“How about cars, girl?” Carly asked, leading the dog over to the back door. When she opened it, Bridget promptly jumped inside.
“She’s been someone’s pet,” Carly mused, climbing into the front passenger seat. “She’s clearly used to walking on a leash and riding in cars. I don’t know how long she’s been on her own or why, but if someone is missing her, I hope we can find them.”
“Hopefully, she’s chipped,” Micha said. “If not, you can check with shelters. Plus there are usually lost-dog groups on social media.”
Though Carly nodded, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Truly, she felt as if Bridget was meant to be her dog. She guessed she’d just have to wait and see.
Inside the vet clinic, despite two other clients and their dogs waiting, Bridget stayed close to Carly, sitting with her side pressed against Carly’s leg and her head down. She ignored Micha and the other two dogs.
Once they were taken back to an examination room, Carly explained how she’d come to be there with Bridget. The vet tech, a young woman with purple hair and a broad smile, went and got a microchip scanner and waved it over the dog’s neck and shoulder areas. The device beeped.
“We have a chip,” the tech announced. “We’ll contact the chip company and get information on the dog’s owner.”
Heaven help her, Carly thought she might cry. She managed to nod, all the while continuing to stroke Bridget’s soft fur. “Thank you,” she said. Micha squeezed her shoulder, as if he understood her inner turmoil.
“There’s no sense in doing any vaccinations or exam yet,” the young woman continued. “You should wait until we hear back from the dog’s owner. There’s no charge for today.”
“Okay.” Deflated, Carly took Bridget’s leash and headed outside, blinking back tears. Silently, she loaded the dog into the back seat of Micha’s rental car, before climbing in the front and buckling herself in.
“It’s going to be all right,” Micha said as he got in on the driver’s side. “You did a good thing. Gave the dog shelter and now she’s on her way to being reunited with her owner.”
Carly nodded, keeping her face averted while she struggled to get her emotions under control.
“You really wanted to keep her, didn’t you?” Micha asked,
