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Once Lily was gone, Clementine went to the hall closet and dug out an old baby blanket Lily used to sleep with. It was covered in colored bunnies and had a ragged hem. Clementine took both Terrence and the blanket into the living room and settled him in front of the fireplace on the dog bed that had been shared by more than a dozen other strays Lily had brought home over the years, both before and during her time at the shelter. She let him lie there, in front of the warm fire, for a few minutes, before she spoke to him. “Hello, Terrence.”
He wiggled a ways out of the blanket. Clementine could see that the puppy wasn’t just black, white and brown. He had a blue-speckled appearance across certain patches of his back and haunches. On first glance, he’d seemed like a beagle, but Clementine had never seen a beagle with speckles before. The puppy sat up on his haunches and started doing a little yip-cry that tore right into the heartstrings.
Lily rounded the corner from the stairs, breaking the record for world’s fastest shower. “I’m here, Terrence,” she said. She crossed the room and settled on the floor near the puppy. She let him sniff her fingers. He slumped onto his side and Lily ran her hand gently over his head and ears. She drew the bunny blanket over him. Terrence laid his head down, drew a deep breath and sighed. His eyes closed.
“Well, I never,” Clementine said.
“Dr. Winters is coming tomorrow,” Lily said. “He’ll need to be dewormed and checked out.”
“Of course.” Clementine stretched and glanced at the clock. It’d been a long day and the thought of an early bedtime sounded like heaven. “Should I get the crate out? The small one?” They’d collected dog crates in multiple sizes, but since the house had been empty for a couple of weeks now, they were all in the garage.
“No.” Lily’s head snapped around. She fixed Clementine with Tyler’s gaze. “Terrence is sleeping with me. He’s too vulnerable to be alone. He’ll wake up, thinking he’s back in the dumpster, and the shock will be too great.”
“Lil. He’s not going to think he’s in the dumpster. The dumpster reeks and is freezing.”
“Mom.”
“Okay.” Clementine sighed. The last thing she wanted to do right now was go in the frigid garage and dig out a metal dog crate. “He can sleep with you tonight.”
“I’m going to lie right here next to him a little while.” Lily curled behind Terrence on the dog bed. “When I’m sure he’s out, I’ll make the transfer to my room.”
Clementine went to protest but tomorrow was Saturday. Lily didn’t have to get up for school and her next shift at the shelter was Monday. “Don’t fall asleep there.” Clementine headed for the stairs, more than ready for her own bed. She’d get in a quick journal entry to Tyler, then turn on the TV. If she didn’t hear Lily head for bed soon, she’d come looking.
“I won’t.” Lily’s eyes were already closed. Little Terrence started snoring, the coming and going of his breath like the sound of a miniature zipper on a teeny tiny jacket.
“Sleep tight, Terrence.”
Something told Clementine the little puppy was going to have the best night’s sleep he’d ever had in his short life.
