Lost & Found - Jacqueline Sheehan [30]
She gave up on writing in her journal and forgot after a few days, and left it sitting on her small dresser. If Bob had been alive, she would have slipped it into a drawer, as a courtesy to both of them. Without knowing it, she had made an adaptation to living alone.
The visit to her brother’s house was compulsory. Both her mother and Caleb had said that if she didn’t come, they were coming out to the island to see her and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want this ascetic life disturbed by their caring, by their distress.
Her mother had flown in from California where she had moved several years after Rocky’s father died. “Why California?” she had asked when her mother announced her decision. Her mother, who had been a junior high science teacher all of her adult life, went back to college to study horticulture at UC Davis. She had recently gotten a job at a vineyard in the Sonoma valley.
When Rocky brought the dog to Melissa’s house, she had explained again about the food, about the mail. “Here you go, kid, front-door key. Most of the mail is addressed to Resident and they’re ads for Wal-Mart.” She had handed the key over to Melissa, who had been in the midst of doing homework.
“You do homework on Friday morning?” asked Rocky. It was 6:30.
“I can’t finish it all at night.” She had her game face on, indecipherable, the good-girl look that probably worked so well with her coach. She was ready for Rocky if she said something nasty.
“OK, well Lloyd will park himself somewhere between you and the door. He’s still gimpy in the leg so don’t take him running with you no matter how much he tries to convince you. Dogs will force themselves to keep up with you even if they can’t. Know what I mean?”
“I know how to take care of a dog.”
“Right, sorry. You’ll do fine. Here is Tess’s number in case you need anything. Do you know Tess?”
“I guess so. The old lady with the hair?”
Rocky paused. She hadn’t really thought of Tess in that way, but yes, Melissa apparently did know her.
“That’s the one.” Rocky left after bidding goodbye to Elaine, who stepped into the kitchen, with coffee cup in hand, dressed for work and with a softer look in her eyes than the last time Rocky had blundered into their lives.
Chapter 8
The first place Melissa went when she got home from school and the club was Rocky’s house. Lloyd came with her, happy to pee on everything that required his urine-soaked messages to other dogs. He could now balance on his two front legs well enough to once again raise his rear leg. The cat greeted them at the door and instead of wanting food, she dashed out, between Melissa’s legs. Rocky had told her she didn’t know if she should leave the cat in or out. The answer was clearly out.
She took in the mail on Saturday. The animal warden had been right. Everything was addressed to Resident.
It was thrilling to be in someone else’s house alone. She opened the cabinets over the sink; two coffee cups and a couple of glasses. This woman traveled light. All the cabinets revealed the same hollow sparseness. Two pots, one fry pan, nothing matched.
Melissa opened the refrigerator. “Let’s see what she eats.” One quart of milk, a loaf of bread, peanut butter, grape jelly, margarine, a jar of salad dressing, Newman’s Own Vinaigrette.
“Well, she’s one to talk,” said Melissa to the dog, who raised a questioning ear at her.
She closed the refrigerator and moved