Mart, Marcus, Daniel, and I were at the shop by seven, a time Aslan even refused to acknowledge with her presence. Mayhem, however, was eager to get out for an early morning sniff-and-pee until we got to the shop, that is. At that point, she climbed onto the tiny dog bed in the window display – meant for a visiting teacup poodle or dog-loving cat – and passed out. Only her chest fit on the bed, so she made quite the sight with her belly up, all four paws in the air, and this little pink pillow below her shoulders. I took a picture and decided it would be the first image on the i********: page I wanted to create for the shop.
By seven-thirty, Rocky and her mom had arrived with trays and trays of baked goods. “Gifts from the ladies at church,” Ms. Phoebe said. “You know those women are alwa
