Man and Woman are fighting again.
“You just don’t get it do you?” Woman screams. Her eyes are wet.
“By all means, help me understand!” Man shouts. He is making that face he makes when he sees me standing on the couch. But Woman isn’t standing on the couch. Man must be confused.
“You act like you don’t love me anymore.” Woman chokes on her words. Man looks afraid. I immediately perk my ears and listen for what is scaring Man. I growl a warning to whatever it was.
“Quiet Baxter!” Man and Woman yell. I slump against the carpet confused. Woman wraps her arms around herself and wipes at the wetness on her face.
Woman always liked to hold me when her face was wet. I liked licking it off her face, it tasted salty. A couple nights ago while Man was gone, she held me for a long time. Woman lets me sit on the couch with her sometimes. She stared at a stick in her hand for a long while. I wanted to play, but every time I went for the stick she told me it wasn’t for me. She said it was a special stick, a baby stick. Whatever that was. Something about that stick made Woman not want to play, so I decided I didn’t like that stick.
“Laura, please don’t cry,” Man whispers as he reaches his arm to touch Woman. Woman turns away from his touch quickly.
I had seen Man look that way before. When Woman was in bed, I knocked over the trash can to look for a bone. “No Baxter!” Man yelled as he got up from his computer. I explored the overturned trash, while Man was busy cleaning it up. Man found the baby stick. It made his face wet too. I decided I really didn’t like that stick.
“You know I love you.” Man’s voice softens.
“You never have time for me! It’s always this conference call, or this work meeting, or late nights on your computer. I barely see you anymore. You barely look at me.”
“Laura, you know that last bit isn’t true!” Man yells as he cups Woman’s face to look at him. I see in Man’s back pocket the box from last night.
“This is a really special box, Baxter.” Man said as he scratched between my ears. I was hoping there was a toy inside, but when Man opened the box I was disappointed to see something small and shiny. Man was really proud of his box.
“I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you, our first fight. Do you remember that?” Man smiles weakly. Woman looks at me.
“We had both stumbled across Baxter in an alley. We were arguing about who should take him home.” She smiles softly.
“Do you remember how we settled that argument?” Man smirks. Woman’s face gets pink.
“You’re the only person I’ve ever met worth fighting for,” he whispers. “Well, and Baxter of course.” Woman smiles.
“I have something to tell you.” Woman says holding her stomach.
“And I have something to ask you.” Man says as he brushes his hand over his back pocket.
I bark. I'm pretty sure it's time for dinner.
