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“That’s what Joe said. You are more than capable of being my assistant, Peggy. You’ve done all manner of tasks for me over the years with remarkable skill. Delivering Persephone’s foal was an impressive accomplishment. I have no doubt that you could be a fine veterinarian if you decided to pursue it one day.”
I couldn’t absorb that much praise. And when Jimmy leaned forward from the back seat and said, “You’ll do a great job, Peggety,” I started bawling all over again. Mrs. Barnett reached over my seat and squeezed my shoulder.
“I would love the job!” I said, blowing my nose. “I can start tomorrow! Or right now! But are you sure you want me? You know how awkward I am around people. I have trouble talking to strangers sometimes.”
“I’ve never thought that of you, Peggy,” Mr.B. said. “You’re quiet, but I would never consider you awkward. I know you can handle this job. Especially since most of my clients already know you, and you know them and their animals. I’ve needed more help for some time, but I’ve been putting it off, hoping things would work out and that Jim... Well, it seems like that’s going to take a little longer now. But even when he’s ready to join me in our practice, we’ll still need a good veterinary assistant. In fact, with two working veterinarians, we’ll need you even more.”
It was an answer to all my prayers. And it was much more than a job. I now had a future doing work that I loved. If only we could take Jimmy home with us, then my life would be just about perfect. But the strain of watching him day and night so he wouldn’t try to kill himself again would be too much for his parents.
I tore up the pharmacy application when I got home and hugged Buster. “It’s going to be okay,” I told him. “I’ll start looking for a place for us to live.” I wanted to thank Joe, but I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t return home after the memorial service.
I went to work at the clinic the next morning, and Mr. Barnett showed me some of the tasks I would be doing from now on, like keeping patients’ records and sterilizing glass syringes and needles. A local farmer brought in his dog who had tangled with a porcupine, and Mr. Barnett showed me how to remove the quills from the poor dog’s snout. We talked about Jimmy as we worked, and he agreed that it had been an encouraging sign when Jimmy had chatted with his friends yesterday.
“Keep doing what you’re doing with all the letters from his buddies, Peggy. I think it’s working.”
I went home for lunch at noon and found Joe in the garage with Pop. “I have a job!” I announced. “A full-time one! And I have you to thank for it, Joe.”
“At the drugstore?” Pop asked.
“Forget the drugstore,” I said. “Mr. Barnett hired me to work at the clinic full-time. I’m now his veterinary assistant.” Nothing could dent my happiness, not even Donna, who marched out of the office as if headed into battle.
“Did I hear right?” she asked. “You gave up the chance for a nice, respectable job at the drugstore for... for that?” She gestured toward the clinic across the street.
“Gladly!”
“You’ve been his servant long enough, Peggy, doing all his dirty work.”
“I love what I do.”
“You love shoveling horse manure?”
“I do more than that. I delivered a foal the other day. And it was a difficult birth.”
“Can’t you see how those people have used you all these years?”
“No. That’s not what I see at all.” She would never understand, so there was no point in trying to explain it to her. “I’ll be moving out as soon as I find a place,” I said. I turned away with Buster at my heels and headed toward the apartment to fix lunch. From now on, I would pack my lunch in the morning and eat it among friends. I was almost to the stairs when I heard Joe calling my name.
“Peggy! Wait up!” I halted so he could catch up with me. “Hey, don’t listen to that old bat. You do what your heart tells you to do, okay?”
“Thanks, Joe,” I said, smiling. “And thanks for talking to Mr. Barnett for me. You’re my hero!” He laughed as I gave him a hug.
“Hey, it was nothing. Remember how you asked what I liked about being a firefighter? Well, the best part of all was rescuing people.”
