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“Okay. I’ll be back in a couple minutes after I let the girls out and bring some pain meds and water.”
“Thanks.”
She makes a humming sound as I leave.
“Come on, girls, let’s go.” I gesture towards the door. Their cute faces turn to me, then dismiss me as they move back to Penny. “Lola. Figgy. Come.” I say it again with more authority in my voice. They know I mean business this time and follow.
As soon as I’m down the stairs and guaranteed I won’t be caught, I cover my face with my hands and shake my head back and forth, silently celebrating. I even do a little body wiggle that has both Figgy and Lola jumping up on me, thinking I’m playing with them.
“Sorry, girls. Okay, okay, let’s get you outside. One last pee before bed.”
As soon as my hand touches the door handle, their tails begin to wag overtime. The cold air has me doing a full-body shiver, but the girls love it and dash outside as soon as the door is opened wide enough for them. One of the main reasons I bought this house was the large backyard. On the days when I can’t take the girls out for the long walks they prefer, I can let them zip around the big backyard.
Laughing at their antics, I watch as they jump through the high snow. Racing from one mound to the next. They become dark blurs as they make their way farther into the back, and I have to squint to spot them through the densely falling snow.
The storm has officially hit. Even with bright flood lights in the backyard, I can’t see through the snow past the deck stairs. It’s supposed to continue through the night, but I’m not sure how much more snow we should be expecting.
I grab a bottle of doctor-approved pain meds and two bottles of water from the fridge. Setting them down, I decide to head out to the garage and bring in some of the frozen meals my personal chef made for me and another case of water. The water is frozen, but I’m hoping it will thaw during the night and help if the power goes out.
When I grab a cloth to begin wiping down the counters, I realize I’m stalling. I’m fluttering about like I don’t know what to do with myself. Like I’m nervous. That never happens to me. But this is Penny.MyPenny. Having her in my space right now for the first time, alone, feels big.
“Get it together, man,” I mumble to myself. Calling the girls inside takes a few minutes and a lot of treats to coax them to the door. They don’t want to stop playing in the snow. “I promise we’ll go on a long walk tomorrow.” Lola nudges my hand, locking in our deal before leaving.
I can hear their muffled steps on the carpet as they head upstairs and back to Penny.
By the time I make it back from the kitchen, both dogs are sandwiching Penny in bed. Figgy is practically falling off the side but happily holding on as Penny pets her.
“Wow, they did not waste a second,” I say, placing a bottle of water on Penny’s side table.
“Is this okay? I wasn’t sure if they were allowed on the bed.”
I extend my hand to her. “Yeah, they’re allowed. Honestly, I’m not strong enough to tell them no on most things. Plus, I like the cuddles.” Stealthily, I drop the pills into her waiting hand, knowing Lola will try to get them, thinking it’s food.
“Thank you.” Her voice is soft. She’s fading fast.
“Just take those and then you can get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
“I feel like I’ve been run over by Santa’s sleigh.”
“Close to it.” I chuckle with her.
Like an idiot, I stand at the edge of the bed, watching Penny and the dogs get settled for the night. Feeling my eyes on her, Penny peeks over the edge of the sheets and gives me a blank look.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing!” I practically shout at her, spinning on my heels and heading for the bathroom. I have to give myself a whispered pep talk in the mirror about playing it cool. After going through my nighttime routine, I give myself one more warning look, then head out.
I try not to look at Penny as I fight for room on the bed as I pull back the sheets. Movement from the side catches my attention, though, and I find Penny struggling to fix the T-shirt over her hurt shoulder.
Exasperated, I stop what I’m doing and round the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me you needed help?”
“Because I thought I could figure it out,” she begins, her voice full of frustration. “But I obviously can’t, and I hate asking for help.”
I try not to act stunned at her admission, but I can’t help it. My hand freezes mid-air, and I just stand there. Her glistening eyes meet mine, and I can feel my heart clench in my chest. It’s a small step, her admitting something like that, but it’s a step forward no less.
Taking a deep breath, I start to reach for her again. “Thank you for telling me that. But I’m here for you, Penny. You don’t need to hide your softer side from me. I’ll keep you safe.”
I hear her swallow, but she doesn’t reply. After I gently pull her injured arm through the shirt hole, I help her get comfortable. Grabbing a decorative pillow that my mother insisted on when I moved into the house and asked for design help, I prop it under her arm, so her shoulder isn’t strained.
