Page 70 of Between the Lines

She’d just finished her second chapter when her phone rang. Frank.

She answered immediately. “Hi.”

“Hey,” he said. The time difference seemed evident in his voice by the weariness it held. “Chad filled me in. He tried to show me the post Sophie made but apparently she deleted it. Anyway, I wanted to hear your voice.”

Essie leaned back against the couch and told him what she’d seen on TikTok, about the rambling way Sophie talked, the part about Ryan cheating, the distinct loneliness threaded into every word. She did her best to keep her own feelings out of it.

He was quiet while she spoke.

“Maybe it’s good I can’t watch it,” he said when she was through. “Sounds like she’s spiraling.” He sighed. “When she’s overwhelmed, she doesn’t know how to ask for help. Never has. She just kind of implodes.”

“That’s what it seemed like she was on the verge of,” Essie said. “Like she was at her wits end.”

“I’m sorry you’re dealing with this while I’m halfway across the world,” he said. “The timing couldn’t be worse.”

Essie smiled faintly. “That’s just how life is sometimes. We’ll manage.”

“I’ll call her. Maybe she’ll answer for me.”

“That would be great.”

There was a short pause, then Frank said, “Chad also mentioned something else you said. About getting a pet? He said it was his suggestion, but you agreed.”

Essie smiled a little, surprised Chad had said anything. “That’s true, I did. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually. This house gets very quiet when it’s just me. Which I guess I’m really noticing right now since Liliana and the kids left this morning. It was great having them here, but now that the house is empty, well…it seems emptier than ever.”

“I can imagine,” Frank said. “What kind of pet are you thinking about?”

Essie bit her bottom lip. “I’d really like a dog. Nothing too big or too small. One that I could take for walks. One that would be good company. I don’t think I’d want a puppy. Maybe a slightly older dog who’s a little calmer.”

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Frank said immediately.

“You do?”

“Of course I do,” he said. “You’ve been on your own a lot lately and with how the business is shaping up, there will be more trips to Italy for me. A dog makes sense.”

Essie smiled. “I thought so, too, but I didn’t want you to feel like I was making a big decision without you.”

“You’re not,” Frank said. “You’re making a sensible one. And I trust you.”

She laughed softly. “That helps. I promise I’ll do my homework and get the right one.”

“I have no doubt about that. I only have one request,” he added.

Her smile wavered. “What is it?”

“Just make sure the dog is housebroken,” Frank said. “I’m very open-minded otherwise.”

“That’s reasonable,” Essie said with a little laugh. “I’d want that, too.”

They talked a bit more, about his meetings, about Italy, about when he might be home, and when they hung up, Essie went out onto the porch to look at the beach.

It would be so nice to have a dog to walk. Of course, a dog wouldn’t change everything. She knew that.

But it would help how she felt. She wouldn’t be alone anymore. She smiled.

It was time to start looking up local rescues and figuring out what kind of dog was right for her.

Chapter Twenty-Nine