Finally, her breathing returned to normal. Maybe she could go back to work now, but not to Exam Room Two. No, go on to the next client. Onward and upward. Wasn’t that what her granddad always said? She moved toward the sink to throw water on her face. Good thing too; her face was red as Christmas lights. That Bulldog guy must be thinking she was a nut case. Oh, what did it matter? The only time they saw each other was here, if the dog got sick or needed shots. Pretty sad really. Sad that she went home every night imagining him waiting in the kitchen with dinner on the table, and him wearing aluminum foil, or a layer of whipped cream on top of a layer of maple syrup—the real stuff. She wasn’t being entirely fair. She didn’t only imagine him in bed. She pictured them married, having coffee together then going off to work, and coming home exhausted to fall into each other’s— A light knock came on the door. Taryn crumpled the brown paper towel and heaved it in the trash.
