Page 85 of 15 Summers Later

She had failed her sister in so many ways. Watching Madi struggle now only reinforced that.

The dog seemed to be done with her business. She sat at Ava’s feet, gazing up at her with an expectant look. Yet one more creature who needed something from her that Ava didn’t know how to give.

Gripping the leash, she walked into the veterinary clinic. It smelled of lemons, with an underlying scent she couldn’t identify. Maybe it was fear hormones excreted by all the creatures who didn’t want to visit the vet, no matter how kind Luke might be.

We’re in the back, Madi texted her.You can come back when Gracie is done.

She pushed through a door by the receptionist desk and found herself in a hallway with various small exam rooms leading off it.

Gracie, apparently now scenting her friend, tugged at the leash, leading her toward a door at the end of the hallway. It didn’t take great detective work to figure out that was where Madi and Luke must be, since it was the only space in the closed veterinary clinic where a light burned. She followed the dog’s waddling steps and pushed open the door, where she found a large, clean exam suite.

Madi looked up from helping Luke, who seemed to be giving a couple of shots to the dog.

“Thanks for taking care of her.”

“Where shall I put her?”

“She needs a bath and a good brushing to get out all the burrs and brambles and ticks, but I’m afraid she’ll have to wait while we take care of her buddy here,” Madi said. “It’s a triage thing. The neediest has to go first. There’s a crate over there you can put her in until we can get to her.”

The dog had been so very valiant, never abandoning her friend even when things seemed dire. Ava scratched her head and was rewarded by Gracie licking her hand.

Already regretting the impulse, she turned and faced her sister. “I could give her a bath and start brushing her out.”

Madi stared. “Really?” she said, a world of doubt contained in that single word.

She shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

“Because you’re preg—” Her voice trailed off and she sent a guilty look toward Luke.

“It’s okay,” she answered. “He already knows. He guessed I was pregnant before I did.”

Luke smiled. “I didn’t know for sure until now. Congratulations!”

“Thank you.”

“Okay. Pregnant or not, you’ve been wonderful with her so far but I know you’re not a big fan of dogs.”

“I’m fine with smaller dogs. It’s the big, slavering kind I don’t like. Gracie wouldn’t hurt me. Would you, sweetheart?”

The corgi wagged her tail and Madi looked shocked.

“If you’re sure, that would be really helpful,” Luke said.

“There’s shampoo next to the tub there, as well as towels and scissors for cutting out the burrs. Cutting them out is probably easier and less painful in the long run than trying to pull them out one by one.”

She nodded and gripped the dog’s leash more tightly. She had no idea why she had volunteered, but it was too late to back down now.

“Come on, Gracie. Let’s get you into the tub and then we’ll find you some dinner.”

The dog followed along, clearly trusting Ava to take care of her.

She could do this, she told herself. How could she be expected to take care of a child if she couldn’t even manage bathing a dog?

23

I find solace in the fact that Madi and I have forged a new narrative, one that transcends the confines of our painful past. The scars remain, but they are now badges of resilience, a testament to the strength we discovered within ourselves and the unbreakable bond between two sisters who defied the darkness.

—Ghost Lakeby Ava Howell Brooks

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