At home, Mac took Barley outside and then brought him back into the kitchen to feed him. When he was done, he asked, “Can I coax you upstairs to my room, Mr. Barley?” Mac laughed as the dog headed for the stairs. It was almost as though he’d understood every word Mac said.
“Oh, you’re just like your daddy—easy.” He trudged up behind Barley, who could almost take the stairs two at a time, despite his relatively smaller size. Mac felt both overjoyed and sad at the same time that the dog seemed so excited to be home and back to their routine.
In his attic room, Mac got himself settled on the four-poster with Barley at his feet but found, very quickly, that he couldn’t sleep, despite the fact he’d been up all night. His eyes burned, and his limbs felt extra heavy. Yet, despite all the physic
