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Clementine listened to the front door click shut, then sat in the quiet kitchen, waves of emotion rolling over her in soft, torturous splashes. She put her face in her hands and cried freely, the sound of her own sobs in the emptiness a sad, ghostly song.
After an indeterminate amount of time, pressure touched her knees and something wet bumped her arm. Clementine peeked out and saw Terrence, his eager muzzle trying to find a way into her steepled hands. Clementine reached out and petted his head, then both ears. The puppy licked her face, drying up the tears.
“Okay, Nugget.” Clementine sniffed, sucking up her tears and remembering what Lily had said about not giving Terrence a nickname yet. That he wasn’t ready for it. “Too bad,” Clementine said. “You’re a nugget. Aren’t you?”
Terrence’s little tail went so fast it was a blur. Clementine laughed through her snotty nose, then rose up to get a tissue. She blew into it, then looked down at the notebook on the table. She considered opening it, then sat back down and laced up her sneakers. She glanced at her watch, not really feeling like running, but there was still time for a quick five miles before she had to get to the shop. As soon as she stood up, Terrence started spinning. He woofed at her.
“What?” Clementine narrowed her eyes at the hound. “What’re you dancing and barking at?”He’s chasing down the hoodoo there.Clementine laughed under her breath.
Terrence spun in circles again, then offered another woof.
“Are you saying you want to run with me?” Clementine had seen people running with their dogs, but had never done it herself. None of Lily’s fosters had shown interest and Clementine had certainly never encouraged it. Her running time was her own, a place she could get lost, let her mind go free, all her troubles and worries forgotten about for at least one blissful hour.
Terrence made an excited growling sound in his throat, like he actually understood Clementine’s question. As she thought about it, Clementine realized this was the first run she’d dressed for since Terrence had got here with Lily not around. When Lily was here, they were an inseparable pair. When Lily was gone, Terrence either slept or Clementine put him in his crate if she had to go to work. That had been her plan this morning. Put him in his crate and go run, then let him out while she showered, then back in the crate when she had to leave for work.
She stared down at the little hound mix, his blue speckles looking lively, his eyes twinkling. Clementine’s face felt hot and puffy, reminding her of her emotional outpouring. “Okay. We can try it.” Clementine pushed her journal away and hunted down Terrence’s harness and leash. She barely got them on him before he was straining for the front door. They stepped out to the front porch, where both of their breath turned to steam. The morning was cool, the sky overcast. She looked down at Terrence and offered a smile. “I hope you can keep up, Nugget.”
Those were her famous last words, right before Clementine spent the next forty minutes running as fast as she could, trying not to fall on her face.
