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“I’m fine.” When Harris didn’t look convinced, Cassie gently shoved the woman away. “Really. Go. I need to find Lisa.”
Harris nodded and left, leaving Cassie alone in a sea of people far bigger and taller than her. Immediately, a cloud of anxiety engulfed her, squeezing her lungs until she felt lightheaded enough to stumble. Someone righted her, and she mumbled a thanks before winding her way through the crowd and ascending the stairs. Just like that, she could breathe again.
A whine slipped under the crack of a door off to her left. When she pressed her ear to the wood and heard it again, she whispered an apology to Lisa before twisting the handle and pushing her way inside.
A mass of fur launched itself off the bed in the center of the room and tackled Cassie just as she closed the door behind her. For the first time in days, she found herself laughing as the giant German Shepherd licked every inch of her face.
“Bear.” She tried to use a stern voice, but she couldn’t find it in her heart. “Bear, come on. Sit down.”
Bear relented, but instead of sitting, he crawled into Cassie’s lap and flipped over so she could rub his belly. His tail thumped rhythmically against the ground as his whole body wriggled with happiness.
“Oh, I know.” Cassie couldn’t stop giggling. “It’s been days since I saw you last. Did you miss me? I missed you.”
Bear answered with a whine and buried himself closer.
“David loved you so much.” Cassie’s giggles transformed into a sob. Bear sat up and stared directly into her eyes. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to spend more time with him.”
Whether Bear understood the Cassie words or just their sentiment hardly mattered. When he inched his head closer and laid it on her shoulder, Cassie wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his fur. It muffled her sobs and soaked up her tears as Bear’s stoic form held her upright.
When the door clicked open behind her, Cassie jumped. She brushed the fur from her face and looked up to find Lisa standing there, a small smile on her face.
“I thought you might be in here.”
“I’m so sorry.” Cassie stood and brushed off her dress. “I didn’t mean to intrude. It was so packed downstairs. I just needed to get away for a minute.”
Lisa shook her head and wrapped her hands around Cassie’s shoulders, squeezing them until Cassie looked her in the eye. “You’re family. Nothing has changed that. You’re welcome here any time. Besides, Bear was looking forward to seeing you.”
The dog jumped up on the bed and laid his hands on his paws. The excitement in his eyes at seeing Cassie faded, soon replaced by a sadness she knew all too well.
“How’s he doing?”
“He’s sad. He knows David is gone.” Lisa led Cassie over to the bed, and they sat down. Bear shifted so his head was in her lap. “He kept looking for him over the last few days. At first, he was confused, but now I think he understands. I felt bad keeping him in here, but I just wasn’t sure how he was going to react with all those people downstairs.”
Cassie placed a hand on Lisa’s arm. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. For now, at least. It helps to have a purpose. Once the house is empty again, it’ll be harder. But the girls are going to stay with me for a while. I won’t be alone. It’ll take some getting used to, but I’ll survive.”
“If you need anything from me, please let me know. You and David were my family when I didn’t think I had any.”
“Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you.”
As looked down at her hands, Cassie’s stomach filled with dread. She knew this moment would be coming sooner or later, but she had hoped to stave it off as long as possible.
“Have you seen David?” Lisa looked back at Cassie. Her eyes were full of hope. “Have you talked to him at all?”
Cassie didn’t blame Lisa for asking. If the roles were reversed, she’d want to know, too. But the desperation in the other woman’s eyes made Cassie’s stomach twist. Either answer would’ve been difficult to hear. On the one hand, if Cassie had seen David, that meant his soul wasn’t at peace. On the other, if she didn’t see him, that meant he was truly gone.
Tears spilled over from Lisa’s eyes. Her voice was thick with emotion. “I can tell by the look on your face that you haven’t.”
“I’m so sorry.” Cassie squeeze Lisa’s hand. “I wish I had a different answer for you.”
“I think this is for the best.” Lisa wiped away her tears. “Really. He wouldn’t have wanted to put that kind of pressure on you.”
“He told me that once.” Cassie couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her mouth. “He said he hoped I wouldn’t have to look at his ugly mug after he was gone.”
Lisa joined in Cassie’s laughter, and the two women hugged each other tightly. When Lisa let go, she looked a little lighter. “I can sleep a little better knowing he’s where he belongs.”
Cassie wished she could say the same. “I’ll sleep better when they find out who did this.”
