straight back to the kitchen with only a wave at Grace’s called-out greeting.
When Grace followed her to the back, she found Sarah tying on her apron. At the noise of the swinging doors, the other woman pressed her hands swiftly to her eyes and wiped them dry. A quick question had her spilling out the story.
“It’s silly, I know. Vets have to put dogs to sleep all the time,” she said. She wrapped her arms around herself and huddled in on herself. “And Piper was old and in pain. He couldn’t walk, couldn’t eat. But it’s just so sad.”
Grace found herself weeping, surprisingly, at the thought of an old dog, tired and ready to die. “Of course it is, Sarah.”
“Todd says I shouldn’t let it bother me.” Her sudden, guilty glance told Grace that Todd was the vet Sarah worked for, the one she was dating. “He says it doesn’t help to get emotional over death. That it’s a natural part of life, and my feeling sad about it doesn’t help the people who are there with their pet.”
“Death is a natural part of life, but so is feeling grief when someone or something dies,” Grace said. The wave of fierce anger at this Todd that washed over her caught her off guard. She knew most of it came from memories of hearing similar words from her family upon her grandmother’s death, and what they’d called her “excessive grief.” “And if I had to put a pet to sleep, I’d want a vet who could be sad with me. Not some unfeeling, uncaring block of ice who’s hardly human.” She surprised herself further by reaching out and enfolding Sarah in a hug. Sarah squeezed her back and sniffled one last time before letting go.
“Todd’s not like that, really. He’s just better at keeping his emotions separate from his work than I am.” Sarah wiped her eyes as she pulled a scrunchie out of her apron pocket and twisted her long, straight hair up on top of her head. “He’s an excellent vet.”
Grace made a noise of noncommittal agreement and handed Sarah a paper napkin. She would keep her mouth shut. It wasn’t her place to give sisterly advice.
“Did you find everything all right at the apartment this morning? I left you a note.”
“I got it.” The morning seemed a lifetime ago. She smiled at the thought. “Everything was perfect. I haven’t had that much hot water in weeks. I’m so grateful, Sarah, that you’re letting me stay with you.”
“Frankly, I don’t like living by myself, too many mysterious noises in the night and all that, so you’re doing me a favor, actually. Although don’t tell my brother that or he’ll never let me live alone again.”
The mention of Tyler was like a splash in the face of dirty water from the kitchen sink.
“Tyler.”
She hadn’t meant to say his name out loud, certainly not with such an obvious amount of frustration in her voice.
“What did he do now?” Sarah asked as she started setting up for the night, refilling the dishwasher soap and stacking up the trays that held the dishes to the right of the sink. “When he stopped by the apartment this morning, I told him not to hassle you. That it sounded to me like you’d had plenty of trouble from men lately and didn’t need him coming on to you like some ham-handed farmboy.” She glanced over her shoulder at Grace. “I hope that was okay.”
It was probably harmless, but Grace was curious as to what Tyler had been told. “What exactly did you say to him?”
Sarah bit her lip and wiped her hands dry on her apron. “Not very much. Just that I thought you’d been involved with some guy who didn’t treat you very well. I didn’t mean to break a confidence, I just thought he might be better off knowing.”
Grace guessed that it was Sarah’s own problems with her love life that had caused her to focus on that part of the limited explanation she’d been given at the hotel, which was fine. And Sarah’s edited version also explained why Tyler was being so nice to her, letting her keep working. He
When Grace followed her to the back, she found Sarah tying on her apron. At the noise of the swinging doors, the other woman pressed her hands swiftly to her eyes and wiped them dry. A quick question had her spilling out the story.
“It’s silly, I know. Vets have to put dogs to sleep all the time,” she said. She wrapped her arms around herself and huddled in on herself. “And Piper was old and in pain. He couldn’t walk, couldn’t eat. But it’s just so sad.”
Grace found herself weeping, surprisingly, at the thought of an old dog, tired and ready to die. “Of course it is, Sarah.”
“Todd says I shouldn’t let it bother me.” Her sudden, guilty glance told Grace that Todd was the vet Sarah worked for, the one she was dating. “He says it doesn’t help to get emotional over death. That it’s a natural part of life, and my feeling sad about it doesn’t help the people who are there with their pet.”
“Death is a natural part of life, but so is feeling grief when someone or something dies,” Grace said. The wave of fierce anger at this Todd that washed over her caught her off guard. She knew most of it came from memories of hearing similar words from her family upon her grandmother’s death, and what they’d called her “excessive grief.” “And if I had to put a pet to sleep, I’d want a vet who could be sad with me. Not some unfeeling, uncaring block of ice who’s hardly human.” She surprised herself further by reaching out and enfolding Sarah in a hug. Sarah squeezed her back and sniffled one last time before letting go.
“Todd’s not like that, really. He’s just better at keeping his emotions separate from his work than I am.” Sarah wiped her eyes as she pulled a scrunchie out of her apron pocket and twisted her long, straight hair up on top of her head. “He’s an excellent vet.”
Grace made a noise of noncommittal agreement and handed Sarah a paper napkin. She would keep her mouth shut. It wasn’t her place to give sisterly advice.
“Did you find everything all right at the apartment this morning? I left you a note.”
“I got it.” The morning seemed a lifetime ago. She smiled at the thought. “Everything was perfect. I haven’t had that much hot water in weeks. I’m so grateful, Sarah, that you’re letting me stay with you.”
“Frankly, I don’t like living by myself, too many mysterious noises in the night and all that, so you’re doing me a favor, actually. Although don’t tell my brother that or he’ll never let me live alone again.”
The mention of Tyler was like a splash in the face of dirty water from the kitchen sink.
“Tyler.”
She hadn’t meant to say his name out loud, certainly not with such an obvious amount of frustration in her voice.
“What did he do now?” Sarah asked as she started setting up for the night, refilling the dishwasher soap and stacking up the trays that held the dishes to the right of the sink. “When he stopped by the apartment this morning, I told him not to hassle you. That it sounded to me like you’d had plenty of trouble from men lately and didn’t need him coming on to you like some ham-handed farmboy.” She glanced over her shoulder at Grace. “I hope that was okay.”
It was probably harmless, but Grace was curious as to what Tyler had been told. “What exactly did you say to him?”
Sarah bit her lip and wiped her hands dry on her apron. “Not very much. Just that I thought you’d been involved with some guy who didn’t treat you very well. I didn’t mean to break a confidence, I just thought he might be better off knowing.”
Grace guessed that it was Sarah’s own problems with her love life that had caused her to focus on that part of the limited explanation she’d been given at the hotel, which was fine. And Sarah’s edited version also explained why Tyler was being so nice to her, letting her keep working. He
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