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Emma broke down in tears, regretting she hadn’t been more careful. “Kara, how could I let this happen? I should’ve shut the back door.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Accidents happen. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll text you in a bit to let you know when we’re meeting.”
There was something reassuring in Kara’s voice that allowed Emma to regain her composure. At least somewhat. “Okay, sounds like a plan. And I should’ve said this earlier, but thanks for today. You and Charlotte didn’t have to spend your day doing this.”
“Emma, we’d do anything for you. You know that.”
After they hung up, Emma sighed and leaned back into the seat, massaging her temples in a circular motion to ease the tension behind her eyes. This was her attempt to block out the worst-case scenario that kept playing on repeat in her head. She sat for a moment longer before pulling back onto the road.
As Emma drove home, she prayed for a miracle: They’d find Riley, he’d be okay, and they’d move on with their lives. If only she had a second chance to go back and do it over, she would’ve made sure to shut the door.
Chapter 8
Luke
Luke woke up early the next morning, so he could get a jump start on getting their new place in order. Although he made some progress with unpacking yesterday, there was still so much left to do. After getting dressed, he headed down to the kitchen to make some breakfast.
Upon reaching the sink, Luke found the empty banana bread dish and a couple of dirty cups. Jeremiah had eaten the whole loaf. Must have been good, he thought, not having tried any himself. He washed the dish and put on his shoes, deciding to return it to Ada’s house across the street. As he reached the front door, he heard a strange noise coming from outside.
What is that? Luke wondered as he paused to listen more closely. The scratching sound continued, growing louder and more insistent. As he opened the door, Luke’s eyes widened at the sight of a golden retriever sitting on the welcome mat. He smiled, struck by the nostalgia of Moose, his childhood dog.
The dog barked, wagging his tail as he got up and regarded Luke.
“Hey there, boy,” Luke greeted the dog, smiling at the sight of his wagging tail. The dog barked in response, making Luke chuckle at his friendly nature. “Where’d you come from?” he asked the dog, noticing the collar but no tag.
“I bet you’re hungry. Come on in,” Luke said, gesturing for the dog to follow him.
The dog padded into the house as if he knew it already, making Luke wonder if he had wandered away from a nearby home. He headed to the kitchen and mixed some leftovers together in a saucer, watching as the dog eagerly ate his meal. Luke filled a bowl with water and placed it next to the food before finding an old quilt to spread out in front of the fireplace.
When the dog finished eating, he trotted over to the quilt, laid down and fell asleep almost instantly. Luke watched him for a moment, feeling a sense of comfort at the sight of the dog’s peaceful slumber.
“Where’d he come from?” Jeremiah’s voice interrupted Luke’s thoughts.
Luke turned to see Jeremiah on the steps, peering into the living room. “I’m not really sure. He was on the porch this morning, and he seemed friendly enough, so I let him inside.”
Jeremiah nodded and continued into the kitchen. Luke walked in after him, pulling out a few biscuits that were left over from yesterday.
“Are you hungry?” Luke asked, holding one out to him.
“Not really.” Jeremiah walked over to the fridge and pulled out a half empty water bottle.
“Well, how would you like to grab some groceries this morning? I’ve got a list, and you can use my card.”
“Ugh, do I have to?” Jeremiah groaned, his teenage angst evident in his voice as he looked up from his phone. “I’ve got better things to do.”
“Son, can you help me out here, please? I need to find this dog’s owner.”
Jeremiah didn’t respond, simply taking the list and card from his father and heading out the door, his moody demeanor evident.
As the dog stretched out and slept on the quilt, Luke pulled out his phone and made a quick post on the community Facebook page about the dog. It had never crossed his mind to take the dog to the vet to see if he was chipped, and he certainly didn’t want to surrender the dog to the shelter. He figured he’d take care of the dog himself until he found the owner. After all, it was a pleasant change having four-legged company.
After making the post, Luke stayed busy around the house unpacking boxes and putting things where they belonged. But one box caused him to pause in reverence. With his hands and heart, he could feel the history it contained: what it housed and some of its journey from creation to its last rest. That box held an old photo album of him and Kate from high school.
As Luke carefully opened the album, he felt a rush of emotions sweep over him. He turned the pages with a mix of nostalgia and melancholy. It was a treasure trove of memories, a window into a time long gone, but still so vivid in his heart. His fingers traced the edges of the pages, and he could almost hear Kate’s laughter echoing in his ears.
There was a picture from their first date at the bowling alley, where he had let Kate win just to see her smile. He could still remember the mischievous glint in her eyes as she celebrated her victory, and how she had doubled over with laughter when he accidentally spilled ketchup-soaked fries on his jeans. Over twenty years had passed since those days.
Then as he turned the page, something fell out. It was a letter Kate, written before she passed. He had read it a thousand times, but each time felt like the first.
