Ipull out my phone and see the notification. “Ruthie, you go ahead and call it whatever you want.AndIwill call youMasterofTechnology.”
“Ido like being up on things.Someday,I’llhave to impress you with my knowledge of the slang that’s popular this month.Ihave theTiketyTokto thank for that.Itkeeps me young and in the know.”
Ipull up the pictures she took ofPrinceCharmingdressed all fancy, and we fawn over them likePrinceCharmingis our baby.Well, my baby, her grandbaby.ThenIgive her a hug, thank her for givingPrinceCharmingsuch a fun day, and he andIhead across the hall to my apartment asIpull the bands out of my hair and let my somewhat curls fall loose.
Myapartment is small and filled with dog toys and a plethora of craft projects in various stages of completion.Imight not like my sister bossing me around, butIhave to admit that my life feels more… adrift since she moved.
Ihad thought about staying in the same apartment she andIshared and getting a new roommate, but that felt like a big commitment, andI’mnot committed to staying here inCipherSprings.Ikeep thinking about moving somewhere random and seeing what is there for me.Soinstead,Igot this one-bedroom place with a month-to-month contract.Itfeels freeing.
Butat the same time,Isomehow still feel stifled.Ikeep thinking of opening my own business, butIdon’t do it.Ilove crafting things and chatting with people, soIthinkIcould make cute things, sell them at craft fairs, and do well at it.ButIworry thatIwould get bored of making the same things all the time and want to constantly be switching it up.Andthat makes me wonder if my desire to do it is because of the side of me that’s like my parents, who went off to chase every fantasy and every thought of a career that sounded interesting.
Ormaybe that’s not even why.MaybeIjust don’t know what direction to take.MaybeIgot so used toLaurelmaking decisions for me thatInever practiced making my own.MaybeIneed to start over someplace fresh.SomeplacewhereIdidn’t live with my sister, whereIcould start a new path.Idon’t know.AllIknow is thatI’vebeen holding off moving forward in anydirection that excites me.That’sprobably whyI’vebeen feeling unfulfilled and the need to move.
Laurelbeing gone has definitely added to the adrift feeling.Laurelis a tent andIam a kite.Iused to be tethered to one of her tent pegs, but now that she’s gone, nothing is tethering me here.Noteven my apartment.Idon’t like the feeling.Soinstead of dwelling on it,Iturn my attention toPrinceCharming.
“Who’sa good boy?”Isay asIrub his neck.Then, asI’mgetting him some dinner,Iask him, “Didyou have fun atRuthie’stoday?”Helets out a quick bark and looks so happy.Whilehe’s eating,Igrab the other half of the saladIgot for dinner yesterday and sit down to eat it.Ifyou judged my age by the timeIeat dinner, you’d guessIam at leastRuthie’sage.ButIgo to work early, andIget hungry early.Anda hungryDaisyis, well, aDaisyIprefer not to be.
WhenIfinish,Isay toCharm, “Doyou want to help me pick what we’re going to do today?”Hebarks again, his fluffy little tail wagging a million miles an hour.
SoIgrab a piece of paper from the printer that’s next to my laptop on a teeny desk and grab aSharpiefrom my mug of pens.ThenIsay things out loud asIwrite them in random spots on the paper.
“Okay, our choices are…Goon a walk.Finishthat cactus garden made out of painted rocks thatIstarted the other night.Oh!Igot an idea for some earrings that each look like a miniature potted plant in a macraméplant hanger, so working on making those.Let’ssee…Goingto the dog park,” which gets another happy bark fromPrinceCharming. “Researchingwhat new city might be fun to live in.I’mthinking maybeCharleston,SouthCarolina.Ithas great food, an arts community, and nearby beaches.Okay, and the last thing…Cooksomething fancy.Maybea dessert.”
Thepaper has six things written on it with each in its own little bubble of space.Iplace the paper on the floor, andPrinceCharmingwalks around it, studying it.Heknows the drill.Heeven makes a show of really considering the options.Thenhe reaches out a paw, places it right onDogPark, and looks up at me, his mouth open in his signature grin.
And,I’mpretty sure heknowsthat he chose to go to the dog park because he has chosen the dog park alotlately.Iknew before gettingPrinceCharmingthatCorgisare smart, butIdidn’t think he’d be able to pick specific words from a paper!Maybehe watches to see whereIwrite on the paper whenIsay “Dogpark” and then makes sure to put his paw on that one.I’mgoing to have to stop saying the choices out loud.
Welive right downtown inCipherSprings, and we’ve got two parks that are very close.Afew minutes later, we’ve both drank a good amount of water,I’vegrabbed my jacket,PrinceCharmingis on his leash, and we are walking the two blocks to the dog park.Ibreathe in deeply as we walk.It’sthe perfect fall temperature.Coolenough for a jacket but not cold.Theair is crisp and clean and leaves are changing in all the trees to the prettiest colors.
Aswe round a corner,Isee someone else at the other end of the block coming toward me who’s also walking a pet andIsquint. “Isthat a cat on their leash?”Isay toPrinceCharming. “Howdid they get acatto be on a leash?”
Aswe get nearer,Irealize the person walking the cat isOllie.Theguy who comes into theCoffeeLoftevery morning carrying a laptop, book, or a stack of folders and gets a chai latte before sitting down to work or read.IlikeOllie.Heworks at the accounting firm a block away from theCoffeeLoft, althoughI’venever seen him there whenIdo deliveries.
Idon’t know him super well because he’s not a big talker, butIlike him.He’sgot sweet eyes and a great smile, and he always puts a tip in the tip jar.Everyday when he comes in,Ihope he’ll hang out at the counter to chat even afterIfinish making his drink becauseIwould love to get to know him even better, but he doesn’t.
Weget close enough to see each other’s faces near one of the tall trees lining the space between the sidewalk and the street, andIgrin and say, “Hi,Ollie.”
Hiseyebrows rise in surprise at seeing me. “Daisy!Iwasn’t expecting to see you here.Hi.”Gosh, he’s got a good smile.Hehas a shyness about him, but also agenuineness that can’t be faked.It’sone of my favorite things about him. “Whereare you headed?”
“Thedog park.You?”
“Just… around.Wethought it might be fun to walk in a different part of town today.”
PrinceCharminghas been slowly scooting closer toOllie’swary cat, andIrealize he’s looking rather mischievous right about the time thatOllie’scat hisses.Insteadof backing up, like he should’ve after a warning hiss like that,PrinceCharmingsummons his inner herder and pounces forward, like he’s going to nip at the cat.
Which, of course, freaks out the cat, and she scales the tree in about one second flat.She’sgotten far enough up it thatOllieis holding his hand up in the air to keep hold of the leash.Iam opening my mouth to apologize toOlliejust asPrinceCharmingruns around me, wrapping his leash around my legs.Thenhe bolts for the tree, tugging me forward.
Becausemy feet are now tied together,Ican’t take a step to catch myself, soIfall right intoOllie, taking us both down.Weland on the sidewalk, me on top of him, soI’vegot an up-close view of his shocked face.Iturn to look at my dog and say, “Charm!Ican’t believe you did that!”
“Charm?”Olliesays. “Asinlucky charm?”
“No, as inPrinceCharming,”Iflash a look at my dog, “which is what he’snotbeing right now.Inamedhim that because whenIfirst saw him, he swept me off my feet.Ididn’t expect him to also literally do it.Iam so sorry.He’snot usually like this.”
Iput my hands on the cement on either side ofOllieto push myself up, but my legs are still tangled in the leash soIcan’t exactly get up.Instead,Iflop over onto the ground besideOllieand work on freeing my ankles asIturn toPrinceCharming. “Thatwasnota nice thing to do.”
InsteadofCharmlooking remorseful or rebuked, he’s grinning at me.Thenhe walks over and licksOllieon the face.Lickshim!Likehe’s giving him kisses or a seal of approval or something.
“Isthat your way of apologizing?”Iask my dog. “Becauseit doesn’t work if you don’t also look like you’re sorry about what you did.”Buthe just keeps looking happy.
