<—Part 2
Part 3
Kayla sat cross-legged on her couch, balancing her laptop precariously across one knee, with only a little of its weight resting on Phoebe. The golden retriever was snuggled against her, upside down with paws in the air. The laptop wobbled a bit with each intake of the dog’s breath.
She smiled fondly at Phoebe and reached out to stroke the spot between the dog’s eyes. After about an hour of link surfing, she’d given up on her original search and had somehow found her way over to a bunch of youtube videos of animals being silly. While not productive, there were worse ways to spend a Sunday evening. At least she’d gotten her writing assignment turned in before she got distracted.
Phoebe shifted, and Kayla gasped, making a grab for the laptop before it could go crashing to the floor. Phoebe finished turning over and came to a sitting position, eyes fixed on the door, tail wagging in a slow rhythmic sweep.
“Alright, Feebs. Time to go out?”
The dog hopped off the couch and padded towards the front door, looking back to make sure Kayla would follow suit.
She sighed, shut the laptop, and pushed herself up from the couch, stretching as she yawned. Phoebe turned back to the door, tail sweeping the floor in a gentle wag.
“How about we go for a longer spin around the neighborhood? It’s too early for fireflies, but at least the squirrels might be out.” Phoebe’s ears perked up at the word squirrel, but otherwise remained calm as Kayla closed the distance between them and reached out to snag the leash from its hook by the door.
She clipped the leash to Phoebe’s collar with practiced ease, grabbed her keys and the bag of plastic baggies she kept near the leash hook, and gently nudged Phoebe to the side so she could swing open the door.
They both stepped into the cool evening air, Phoebe pausing to allow Kayla time to lock the door behind her. There was still a bit of daylight left, but it wouldn’t last. Suppressing a shudder, Kayla took the lead, heading down toward the neighborhood park, pausing often as Phoebe made frequent stops to sniff all the doggy news of the day. Occasionally Phoebe made her own posts for the next dog to smell.
Kayla brushed dark hair from her eyes and glanced across the park to the narrow running trail. Spring lasted such a short time, it would be a shame not to enjoy the dandelion meadow while it was in full bloom.
“Well… how about it, Feebs?” She glanced at the dog, but Phoebe just stood relaxed, waiting for her next cue. When Kayla started in the direction of the running trail, Phoebe kept pace with her, the slack in the leash making it seem more decorative than practical.
She stepped onto the running trail, and shivered as a sharp breeze cut through her thin cotton blouse. Should have grabbed a sweater. Summer couldn’t come soon enough. Until it was in full swing, anyway. Then the oppressive humidity would have Kayla missing the spring and hoping for autumn to kick in.
Picking up the pace to a brisk walk, she hoped the activity would add a little warmth as the sun continued to fade out over the horizon. She hoped to catch the dandelion field while the sunlight could still shine through and bathe everything in a golden glow.
As she and Phoebe approached the meadow, the sight took her breath all over again. It even felt warmer as she stepped toward the opening of the meadow. She stopped when she felt the leash tug backward. Looking behind her, she saw Phoebe plant herself firmly in a seated position. The oddness of Phoebe not keeping step brought her to a halt, and she returned to where the golden retriever sat, eyes alert. Kayla turned back to the meadow to try to see what Phoebe was staring at, but all she saw were the splashes of yellow, bathed in the fading glow of the sun.
“Come on, Feebs. Let’s go check it out.” She coaxed, punctuating the plea with a gentle tug of the leash. Phoebe’s gaze remained fixed and she refused to be moved from her position. After another minute or two of pleading with the dog, Kayla gave up and sat down next to her.
“Fine, if you won’t go, I’ll at least stay and enjoy the view from here.” There was an undertone of annoyance in her voice, but the idea of walking ahead without Phoebe never occurred to her. She’d learned to trust her companion years ago. Phoebe was a big part of why she could go out and about without her anxiety taking full control.
As Kayla shifted into a more comfortable sitting position, Phoebe leaned against her, the dog’s heaviness a comfort rather than a bother. They sat together in companionable silence, Kayla’s gaze fixed on the play of golden light that bathed the meadow as the last rays of the sun sank below the horizon.