Harriet was sitting between Lauren and Mavis in a wooden rocking chair in the back room of the vet clinic when Aiden entered, a small dog cradled in each arm. He set a tan Chihuahua-dachshund mix in Lauren's lap then handed a curly-haired black-and-white poodle-terrier mix to Mavis.
"Be right back with Harry,” he said and disappeared the way he'd come.
He returned moments later with a mostly bald dog of unknown heritage. He carefully placed the injured dog onto the special fiber blanket draped across Harriet's lap. Harry had lost much of his skin as a result of being in the bottom cage at the dog hoarder's, deluged with waste from the cages above. He'd received skin grafts, some from a pig and some synthetic, which were beginning to peel as his own skin began to grow and heal. The result made him look like some sort of extraterrestrial creature.
The Loose Threads were into their second week of dog socializing, and so far the project was going well. Mavis's lap was draped with a lap-sized dog-bone quilt that, along with several other similar ones, had not sold at the benefit auction.
Lauren lifted the corner of the quilt.
"I can't believe the Small Stitches fell for the decoy quilt pattern,” she said.
"Well, it serves them right,” Mavis said. “What's really silly is that they're good quilters. They don't need to be copying other people's work."
"Why do they do it, then?” Harriet asked between licks as Harry attempted to wash her face.
"Lack of confidence, I guess,” Mavis replied.
Robin came through the door, followed by Aiden and a coal-black dog with a white cast on its front leg.
"Sorry I'm late,” she said. “I had to file some papers with the court.” She took off her pink-hooded yoga jacket and slipped a green apron over her head, tying the strings behind her. “Okay,” she said, and Aiden gently set the black dog in her lap.
"I really appreciate the work you ladies are doing here,” he said to the group. “The dogs are adjusting better than we hoped. I'm feeling a lot better about their adoption possibilities."
"I have a feeling you're going to have a jump-start on the adoptions,” Harriet said and looked over at Lauren, who was talking baby talk to her dog, Carter.
"Speaking of jump-starting adoptions, I don't think DeAnn would mind me telling you all that Iloai is now back with her parents and seems to be settling back in without lingering effects,” Robin said.
"That's real nice,” Mavis said.
Connie came into the crowded storeroom, whisking off her peach-colored nylon jacket and slipping into her apron. Aiden immediately appeared with yet another small dog, this one another Chihuahua mix of some sort. She petted the little dog, who nestled into her lap while Aiden retreated back into the clinic.
"Did you tell them the news?” she asked Robin.
"I was just getting to that.” She turned to the rest of the group. “Connie here suggested that, since the authorities have had no luck so far in finding any record of Kissa's birth, family or anything else, and since DeAnn and her husband have already been qualified as adoptive parents once, perhaps they could be fast-tracked to become foster parents, and then eventually, when the waiting period is over, they could adopt Kissa."
"That's just wonderful,” Mavis said.
"It just seemed natural,” Connie said. “Rodrigo and I have been having a lot of fun with Kissa, but we're too old to have such a bundle of energy on a fulltime basis. We'll be happy to just be grandparents again. And who knows-maybe we'll adopt this little girl to fill our empty nest.” She patted the head of her little charge, and the dog wagged her skinny tail.
"Did everyone hear how much Harriet's quilt brought in at the auction?” Aiden asked when he came back a few minutes later to check on them.
"They were there,” Harriet said with an embarrassed smile. “Besides, Jenny is the one who should get the credit for maintaining the reputation of our quilt group, since her design was chosen to be the raffle quilt, and who knows how much it will eventually bring in money-wise."
"They were all a group effort,” Jenny said modestly. The little dog in her lap barked his agreement, which then set off a chain of yips and yaps, requiring the Threads to concentrate on their task.
Aiden came back into the storeroom-turned-dog socializing area when he'd put the last of his charges back in its kennel and the last Loose Thread had left the clinic. He gently pulled Harriet, who had waited for him, into an embrace. He looked down at her ankle, which was once again in a heavy cast.
"Are things ever going to be back to normal?” he asked.
"You mean normal like when I used to live alone? Before my aunt and Mavis decided I couldn't fend for myself?"
"I do understand their urge to protect you,” he said and kissed her. “You do have a way of finding trouble."
"Lots of people who live alone sprain their ankles."
"Not a lot of them have a three hundred-pound woman fall on their sprained ankle while she's trying to kill them, though."
"Whose side are you on?"
"You're right. I feel like a teenager again with those two hanging around, forced to try to sneak a kiss when they turn their backs. And we both know if we went to my house, they'd just follow us. And what's up with Jorge delivering take-out to your house?"
"We just need to let things settle down a little. When more time has passed, things will go back to normal."
"Is that a promise or a threat?"
Harriet balanced her weight on her good foot and pulled him into a serious embrace, running her hands up his back as she kissed him, ending all possibility of further discussion.