Tragic Renewal by Marlina Williams Page A

in what she was saying, but his tail waved a polite acknowledgment. “We’ll get through this together I promise.”
    He stretched on his bed with a huff. His listless pose spoke the volumes of words his mouth could not. She leaned over to stroke his silky fluffy fur. Unlike the first time she touched him, he didn’t become tense, but instead lay there like a large stuffed animal. Her heart ached for this poor beast that couldn’t understand why his owner didn’t return. He must think Cara abandoned him.
    Harper spent several minutes stroking him. Her hand ran from the side of his head, over his pointy ear, and across his side. Her hand rumbled across a bony ribcage, each rib stood out even though it wasn’t visible with the thick fur coat that covered it. Even though Noah had been feeding Ziggie, she suspected Ziggie wasn’t very interested in food.
    With a sigh she stood then glanced back down at the dog. His tail gave a quick movement and his eye tracked her as she walked away. Harper hoped they would be friends in their shared grief, for now she was going to scrounge up some food to tempt the underweight dog to eat. If her rumbling stomach was any indication it was time for dinner.
    In the kitchen she searched for a light switch, needing some light to drive back the encroaching dark of an early winter’s night. When she flipped the switch three spotlights lit the counter of the center island in a warm yellow glow. She pulled open the door of the small fridge. A large brick-red Dutch oven sat on the top shelf. With a tug she slid it from the shelf, surprised at its solid weight. After placing it on a stove burner she opened the lid to view the contents. Even cold, the beef stew within smelled and looked delicious. Harper couldn’t remember the last time she’d had homemade stew.
    When she turned back to the kitchen island she noticed a tray that she’d missed on her and Brianna’s earlier walk through. The tray was wrapped in a tight film of saran wrap and had a note stuck to the top.
    Reheat @ 350 for 15 minutes - don’t forget to take the plastic wrap of f .
    Harper smiled as her fingers stroked the neat businesslike handwriting. Noah or Brianna must have snuck the dinner rolls in earlier in the day. She suspected Noah since he’d also left the stew.
    Once the rolls were safely in the oven, minus their plastic wrap prison, and the stew slowly warming she went to her car to grab a few things. When she came back inside the aroma of stew and rolls permeated the house. She inhaled a long breath, filling her lungs with the comforting scent of home. Even Ziggie was showing interest in the fresh aromas wafting into his sensitive nostrils. As Harper watched, his black nose twitched from side to side even as his eyes remained sealed shut in sleep.
    She laughed at his stubborn determination to remain uninterested in the food he needed to fill his belly. With a large ladle she scooped a generous portion of warm, but not yet hot, stew into a heavy ceramic bowl. When she kneeled in front of Ziggie his eyes popped open in surprise.
    “Alright mister, what do you think of this?” She waved the bowl under his nose as he stood and stretched the kinks from his body. He made a point of stretching each limb with slow precision, disregarding the silly human waving food under his nose.
    She made her fingers into a scoop and scooped up a large chunk of meat and potato then pushed them into her palm. Her palm stretched flat she offered him the food. He stopped stretching long enough to give it a disdainful sniff then turned in a circle and curled up on his bed. She puzzled over the issue for a moment before a flash of brilliance told her what to try.
    After dropping the meat and potato back in the bowl, she dipped her fingers in the gravy. Soothing hums came from her throat as she reached to lift Ziggie’s top lip hoping he didn’t feel threatened. He didn’t resist her latest attempt to entice him to eat, so she continued.