wasn’t sure what to do.
I looked at Bo . “I guess we can’t, buddy. I think we have to stay here and look out the window for squirrels and deer.” Bo’s ears perked up. “Do you like squirrels, Bo?”
Bo took off in a run , his paws creating scratching sounds on the hardwood. I followed him through the kitchen and to a door I thought might lead to the garage. He went through a dog door. I looked at the door. It was small, almost too small for him, but I quickly was on my hands and knees, making my way through the door and then the next until we were outside.
I took a deep breath and looked down at Bo. “Are you ready, boy?” I started to jog , and Bo was right in front of me. He led me to a path though some trees—they looked like fruit trees—and then around a lake. I trusted Bo knew the way and got nervous only when he stopped and raised his ears. He looked past me the way we had come, and I felt like he was going to take off without me, but he didn’t. He did this a couple of times, and then we finished our jog right in front of the house. We walked around the side by the garage, both trying to catch our breath. I squeezed again through the dog doors and ended up inside the house, right next to the kitchen. I stood up and stretched, still breathing heavily.
“Good morning .”
I was alarmed at the sound of Jason’s voice. I looked up and smiled , feeling foolish for using the doggy doors. He was mad, his arms crossed on his chest. His eyes were tense, and his jaw was clenched.
“I left a note ,” I said, pointing to the fridge. I felt like I was a child, defending myself. I hated that feeling.
He looked at the fridge . “I didn’t see any note. Why didn’t you wake me?” He closed his eyes and whispered something to himself.
“I didn’t want to wake you . You looked very peaceful. Besides, Bo was a great tour guide.” I reached down and scratched Bo behind his ears. Bo looked up at Jason and immediately put his ears back and lay down on his front paws. I looked back to Jason. “It’s not his fault.”
Jason walked toward me , and I stepped back without thinking.
“I don’t want you to touch me when you’re angry. I am not her . My intent was not to make you angry.” He stopped inches from me. I didn’t look at him. I turned my head away. “I am sorry if you were worried about me. I really didn’t want to wake you. Please forgive me. I will be sure to wake you next time.” With that, I stepped around him and headed for the stairs. He followed me.
“I know you aren’t her,” he said. “You are nothing like her . Stop comparing yourself. I can’t hide my reaction. I was upset because I thought you’d left without a word.”
I stopped on the stairs to look at him.
“I have always been one way. I can’t help thinking you’re doing things to get me to react. I know your thoughts are innocent, and I am trying hard to control my urges to discipline you. I don’t want to be that person anymore. If you want to know, with her, I would get really mad and mean. She liked that and did things on purpose just to show the control she had over me.” He sounded wounded, like he was defeated.
“I am not running, well I guess technically I was running, but not away. I don’t know you , Jason, at all, but you don’t scare me. I think maybe you worry me when you say words like ‘discipline.’ I don’t want to upset you, and you seem so uptight sometimes.” I shrugged. “Maybe you need a fix?” I felt my eyes widen, surprised by my own words, but that didn’t stop me from continuing. “You know…scratch an itch. Maybe you need to find someone and, I don’t know, make friends.”
He was laughing at this, hard. I clearly didn’t see anything funny, but it was nice to see him laugh. When I finished , he was silent and smiling, and I turned and ran up the stairs.
* * * *
Jason must have slipped in the bathroom while I was taking a shower because there were two fluffy
I looked at Bo . “I guess we can’t, buddy. I think we have to stay here and look out the window for squirrels and deer.” Bo’s ears perked up. “Do you like squirrels, Bo?”
Bo took off in a run , his paws creating scratching sounds on the hardwood. I followed him through the kitchen and to a door I thought might lead to the garage. He went through a dog door. I looked at the door. It was small, almost too small for him, but I quickly was on my hands and knees, making my way through the door and then the next until we were outside.
I took a deep breath and looked down at Bo. “Are you ready, boy?” I started to jog , and Bo was right in front of me. He led me to a path though some trees—they looked like fruit trees—and then around a lake. I trusted Bo knew the way and got nervous only when he stopped and raised his ears. He looked past me the way we had come, and I felt like he was going to take off without me, but he didn’t. He did this a couple of times, and then we finished our jog right in front of the house. We walked around the side by the garage, both trying to catch our breath. I squeezed again through the dog doors and ended up inside the house, right next to the kitchen. I stood up and stretched, still breathing heavily.
“Good morning .”
I was alarmed at the sound of Jason’s voice. I looked up and smiled , feeling foolish for using the doggy doors. He was mad, his arms crossed on his chest. His eyes were tense, and his jaw was clenched.
“I left a note ,” I said, pointing to the fridge. I felt like I was a child, defending myself. I hated that feeling.
He looked at the fridge . “I didn’t see any note. Why didn’t you wake me?” He closed his eyes and whispered something to himself.
“I didn’t want to wake you . You looked very peaceful. Besides, Bo was a great tour guide.” I reached down and scratched Bo behind his ears. Bo looked up at Jason and immediately put his ears back and lay down on his front paws. I looked back to Jason. “It’s not his fault.”
Jason walked toward me , and I stepped back without thinking.
“I don’t want you to touch me when you’re angry. I am not her . My intent was not to make you angry.” He stopped inches from me. I didn’t look at him. I turned my head away. “I am sorry if you were worried about me. I really didn’t want to wake you. Please forgive me. I will be sure to wake you next time.” With that, I stepped around him and headed for the stairs. He followed me.
“I know you aren’t her,” he said. “You are nothing like her . Stop comparing yourself. I can’t hide my reaction. I was upset because I thought you’d left without a word.”
I stopped on the stairs to look at him.
“I have always been one way. I can’t help thinking you’re doing things to get me to react. I know your thoughts are innocent, and I am trying hard to control my urges to discipline you. I don’t want to be that person anymore. If you want to know, with her, I would get really mad and mean. She liked that and did things on purpose just to show the control she had over me.” He sounded wounded, like he was defeated.
“I am not running, well I guess technically I was running, but not away. I don’t know you , Jason, at all, but you don’t scare me. I think maybe you worry me when you say words like ‘discipline.’ I don’t want to upset you, and you seem so uptight sometimes.” I shrugged. “Maybe you need a fix?” I felt my eyes widen, surprised by my own words, but that didn’t stop me from continuing. “You know…scratch an itch. Maybe you need to find someone and, I don’t know, make friends.”
He was laughing at this, hard. I clearly didn’t see anything funny, but it was nice to see him laugh. When I finished , he was silent and smiling, and I turned and ran up the stairs.
* * * *
Jason must have slipped in the bathroom while I was taking a shower because there were two fluffy
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