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Unable to hide in my mother’s kitchen forever, I went in to work. Mallory seemed surprised to see me. “I thought you were taking a few days off.”
Already bending down to greet my dog, she said, “But I sure am glad I don’t have to wait so long to see you, Da— ”
Fear that hearing his name uttered out loud would slice right through me like a dagger, I cut her off before she could finish. “His name is Sweet Boy.”
“Oh,” she seemed surprised, but quickly recovered. “Well, that seems appropriate because that is exactly what you are. Aren’t you?” She pooched out her lips as she spoke directly to my dog.
The dog lapped up the attention by trying to lick her face. She successfully averted his long pink tongue, but just barely. Standing and turning her attention back to me, she said, “What ca
