Somewhere Between Black and White by Rosa Sophia, Shelly Hickman Page B

her ribs
protruding. She hadn’t been eating much and the weight had fallen from her.
    Sophie wondered what was going through
Sam’s mind as he gazed down at Abby, his hand resting on her face. Sophie bowed
her head, covertly glancing up at him. It was less an attempt to spy on him
than an effort to keep from tearing up; she couldn’t bear to stay fixated on
Abby. He smiled wistfully, seemingly unaware that Sophie was still in the room.
“It’s okay, girl. I won’t forget you.”
    As Sophie watched him, an image flashed
of a man playing in the grass with the dog that had been with her in the barn.
The Australian Shepherd ran circles round him, and the man had his arms out, as
if about to tackle her. Sophie couldn’t make out his features, but she knew it
was the same person who had been working on the tractor. He turned.
    It was Sam. He had a different face, but
it was Sam.
    She
drew in a quick breath. Sam looked up, about to ask what was wrong, when the veterinarian
entered with the syringes. “Hello, Mr. Collins,” he said gently. “Are we
ready?”
    After a solemn drive home, Sophie
followed Sam to his front door. She decided to tell him about her strange
daydreams, but it could wait until another time. “Do you want to call it a day?
You’re probably not in the mood for company.”
    He unlocked the door, before turning to
give her a short kiss. “I’m fine. I want you to stay.” Ushering her inside, he
plopped himself down on the couch, playfully motioning for her to join him. He
really did seem all right, but she wasn’t sure if he was putting up a front. 
    For a moment, his gaze lingered on
Abby’s bed that sat in the corner of the room. He cleared his throat.
    “You probably think I’m avoiding things
too much,” he said. “Honestly, I have to say it’s a relief. Each day I kept
hoping she would go on her own. She’s not in any more pain, and I’m more than
good with that.” 
    Participate joyfully in the sorrows of
the world . He really was capable of walking the walk, at
least in this instance. There were a lot worse things in this world than losing
your pup, but when you’ve had a pet for that long, it’s still tough. When
Sophie had to let Heidi go, she brooded for a week.
    “Thank you for coming with me,” he said.
    “Thank you again for bringing me
and Evie to that class. It was surprisingly beneficial. Just what she needed.”
    “I don’t know. You’ve seemed a little
stressed yourself lately. Thought maybe you could use it, too.”
    “I’ve been griping about the kids too
much, haven’t I?” she asked. “I’m sorry.”
    “Lose the apology, would ya?” 
    Oh, he had to go and look at her in that
sweet, honest way that made her organs dissolve. “You know, I’m really about
ready to find something wrong with you! It’s worrying me, like I’m going to
find out you have five wives, or you’re a serial killer or something.”
    “Since you brought it up. . . .” His best
Anthony Hopkins wasn’t very good. “I have had a yen for your liver, with
some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
    She scrunched up her face and laughed.
“Okay, that was downright creepy.”
    “Oh God,” he said with apprehension. “Tell
me you’ve seen Silence of the Lambs .”
    “Uh, yeah. If I hadn’t, I’d be tearing
through that door right about now,” she answered. “And I do believe my Yoda was
better than your Hopkins.”
    “Ohhh.” He chuckled. “I beg to differ
with you, beautiful.”
    Sophie reached over and touched his face,
silently conveying how sorry she was about Abby. They remained this way for a
few seconds before he pulled her into his arms. They held onto each other for a
long while, his embrace unyielding. Tension filled his body, and she realized
he had been containing his grief after all. She hoped he wasn’t crying. If he
was, she’d be right there with him. She was the biggest sympathy crier ever.
    He let her go and rubbed her arms. “Are
you cold? You feel