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Authors: Ava Mallory
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up before I had a chance to say anything else.
I looked around. There was no evidence that a dog had ever lived here.
“Great! Now, I'm going to get kicked out for having a dog here.” I said out loud.
I immediately picked my phone back up and dialed Ruby's number.
“Hey, honey. How's it going?” She answered.
After I filled her in on the details and waited for Hank to calm her down, I told her that Diana would be picking up the dog and to keep me informed about Hank's mother.
Hank, just like Ruby, was one of my dearest friends. He was the ying to my yang, so to speak. You see, Ruby and I had a tendency to be irrational and quick to react. Hank, being a level-headed psychiatrist, would work his magic on us and get us to stop and think or, more often than not, would help us to analyze how things had gone so horribly wrong. Most times, the answer was because we'd jumped the gun and reacted instead of doing something to be proactive.
“Mercy, don't let things get out of control.” Ruby warned me.
“Sometimes, I just can't help it.” I was trying to make a joke, but it wasn't funny to either of us.
I didn't want to add to her worries. She and Hank already had enough to worry about. I tried to be serious. “I'll be okay. I didn't do anything wrong. I was going to turn him in, if they would have given me another minute or so, they'd all be singing another song right now.”
“I hear you, but anyway, just stay safe and try to stay out of their way.” She said.
“Their way?” I asked. “Who are you talking about? The police?”
“Everyone.” Ruby answered. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, so things must not have been going well for Hank's mom.
“Send Hank and Mama Sylvie my love. Be safe.” I hung up, wishing I could be there with them. They had been right by my side for all of my ups and downs in life.
After I'd lost both my grandparents and my parents, Ruby and Hank were my rocks. They went so far as to cook for me around the clock and took Diana for weekends to give me time alone.
I'd lost my parents shortly after James and I had separated. They'd died in a car accident while on a trip across country.
My grandparents died within six months of each other less than a year later. In the span of about nine months, I'd lost almost all of my blood relatives. Hank and Ruby, although already my dear friends, gave me the strength to go on.
*
“I should have become a private investigator. This stuff is fun.” Diana held Barney in her lap as we sat outside of a local eatery, waiting to see the woman who may be able to answer some of my questions for me.
“What if she doesn't look the same any more?” I asked, looking at the photo on Diana's tablet.
“She couldn't have changed that much. If anything she'll look a lot better than that picture. You know what happens after you get divorced.” Diana answered like I had any idea what she was talking about.
I ran my hands through my hair. “No, what happens? You get stuck with all the bills and you don't have to watch martial arts movies anymore?”
She laughed. I loved to hear her laugh. It always brightened my day. I hated to admit it, but she was right about coming down to visit me. I felt better already, just having her here. I don't know what I'd ever do without her.
“Well, someone I know, ahem, went on this big makeover binge. She dyed her hair, started wearing makeup again, started exercising. You know, all the stuff women do to make their ex jealous.” She winked at me.
I crossed my arms in front of me. “I have no idea what you're talking about. One Zumba class does not equate to trying to make your father jealous.”
We both started giggling, until Barney decided to wake up from the fourth nap, he'd taken since they'd arrived only three hours earlier.
“What's wrong?” I looked up at the restaurant. Employees were walking out. Each
I looked around. There was no evidence that a dog had ever lived here.
“Great! Now, I'm going to get kicked out for having a dog here.” I said out loud.
I immediately picked my phone back up and dialed Ruby's number.
“Hey, honey. How's it going?” She answered.
After I filled her in on the details and waited for Hank to calm her down, I told her that Diana would be picking up the dog and to keep me informed about Hank's mother.
Hank, just like Ruby, was one of my dearest friends. He was the ying to my yang, so to speak. You see, Ruby and I had a tendency to be irrational and quick to react. Hank, being a level-headed psychiatrist, would work his magic on us and get us to stop and think or, more often than not, would help us to analyze how things had gone so horribly wrong. Most times, the answer was because we'd jumped the gun and reacted instead of doing something to be proactive.
“Mercy, don't let things get out of control.” Ruby warned me.
“Sometimes, I just can't help it.” I was trying to make a joke, but it wasn't funny to either of us.
I didn't want to add to her worries. She and Hank already had enough to worry about. I tried to be serious. “I'll be okay. I didn't do anything wrong. I was going to turn him in, if they would have given me another minute or so, they'd all be singing another song right now.”
“I hear you, but anyway, just stay safe and try to stay out of their way.” She said.
“Their way?” I asked. “Who are you talking about? The police?”
“Everyone.” Ruby answered. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, so things must not have been going well for Hank's mom.
“Send Hank and Mama Sylvie my love. Be safe.” I hung up, wishing I could be there with them. They had been right by my side for all of my ups and downs in life.
After I'd lost both my grandparents and my parents, Ruby and Hank were my rocks. They went so far as to cook for me around the clock and took Diana for weekends to give me time alone.
I'd lost my parents shortly after James and I had separated. They'd died in a car accident while on a trip across country.
My grandparents died within six months of each other less than a year later. In the span of about nine months, I'd lost almost all of my blood relatives. Hank and Ruby, although already my dear friends, gave me the strength to go on.
*
“I should have become a private investigator. This stuff is fun.” Diana held Barney in her lap as we sat outside of a local eatery, waiting to see the woman who may be able to answer some of my questions for me.
“What if she doesn't look the same any more?” I asked, looking at the photo on Diana's tablet.
“She couldn't have changed that much. If anything she'll look a lot better than that picture. You know what happens after you get divorced.” Diana answered like I had any idea what she was talking about.
I ran my hands through my hair. “No, what happens? You get stuck with all the bills and you don't have to watch martial arts movies anymore?”
She laughed. I loved to hear her laugh. It always brightened my day. I hated to admit it, but she was right about coming down to visit me. I felt better already, just having her here. I don't know what I'd ever do without her.
“Well, someone I know, ahem, went on this big makeover binge. She dyed her hair, started wearing makeup again, started exercising. You know, all the stuff women do to make their ex jealous.” She winked at me.
I crossed my arms in front of me. “I have no idea what you're talking about. One Zumba class does not equate to trying to make your father jealous.”
We both started giggling, until Barney decided to wake up from the fourth nap, he'd taken since they'd arrived only three hours earlier.
“What's wrong?” I looked up at the restaurant. Employees were walking out. Each
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