Freedom

by Mary Crawford

  “I don’t know. I can’t give you an honest assessment of that until I’ve worked with Bruiser a little more. He has good basic manners. It seems to me he’s had some training before. I don’t know how that will translate into service dog training.” Zoe shrugs.

  “Are we talking years?” I ask with a frown.

  “No, I don’t think so. If things go well, it might be a month or two. I have to do behavioral screenings on him and test him in many different environments to see if he has any triggers.”

  I glance up at her with alarm. “Do you think he has problems?”

  Zoe takes a bite of her peanut butter sandwich before she answers, “Not necessarily. But, it’s something we always have to check for. When I first started this job, I worked with a dog I thought would be spectacular. It wasn’t until several weeks into training that I realized she was terrified of people wearing coats. We don’t wear coats much around here, especially in the summer. So, it never occurred to me something like that might happen.”

  “What did you do with the dog?”

  “Mitch worked with her. He has more experience than I do. After that, he placed her at a nursing facility where she serves as a comfort dog for the residents.”

  “That’s good, I guess,” I concede. “But I don’t know how it’s all going to work. I need to go to Oregon, remember?”

  Zoe turns away for a moment. When she turns back, I notice there are tear tracks on her face. “Trust me, I know. I can’t forget. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s working out like this. If I didn’t have bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all. I finally found someone who I can relate to and you’re planning to leave.”

  I move to sit beside Zoe as I gather her in a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry. I wish there was another way.”

  Zoe leans into my side. “I think there might be. What if you told Tristan about our plan to train Bruiser to be your service dog? Do you think he would give you a couple weeks of leeway?”

  “Probably. But that’s not my only issue. Remember, I’ve never flown before. How in the world could I ever fly with a dog?” I ask, my breath coming in short pants as my anxiety level rises.

  Bruiser jumps down from the couch and shoves his head into my lap. As I rub his ears, I find it easier to breathe.

  Zoe whispers to Bruiser, “Good boy!” She catches my eye and looks at me directly. “Obviously, Bruiser has an innate connection to you. So, the ball is in your court. Are you even interested in having a service dog?”

  I nod slowly. “Yes. If Bruiser can do all the things you say he can do for me, I’d be stupid to turn down your offer.”

  Zoe places her arm around my waist and squeezes. “Then don’t. I’ll work with Bruiser as much as I can. I don’t know how much time the trial will eat up, but I’ll do my best to work around it. If I can’t handle it, I’m sure Mitch would be happy to step in and help with the training duties.”

  “You make it sound so easy. This is going to change my whole life.”

  Zoe shakes her head. “No, I don’t mean to seem like it’s going to be easy. I need to put you in situations which stress you out so I can reinforce Bruiser’s natural tendencies to protect you.”

  “I can’t say I like that part of the plan,” I say wryly.

  “The process isn’t always fun, but I think in your case any price you pay now will be worth it in the end.”

  “I hope so,” I start to answer as my phone beeps. I dig it out of my pocket and realize it was my mom. My heart sinks to my toes when I read my messages.

  Zoe lays her hand on my forearm as she asks, “Are you all right?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. My mom wants me to come home. I don’t know if it’s because she wants to check in on me or if my dad is having more chest pain. She wants me to come right after they get back from their business conference.”

  “Oh no! Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yeah, actually there is. Coping with my life seems easier when you’re around. Would you mind coming with me?”

  I’ve had many homecomings in my life, but I’ve never been so nervous. This is the first time I’ve brought anyone with me. I hope my parents don’t make a huge deal out of it and embarrass me. I’m not a kid anymore, but I think sometimes my parents forget that.

  When we stop at the front door, Bruiser immediately sits and waits quietly. Zoe was right, he is a natural in harness. I take advantage of the peaceful moment and bend down to brush a kiss across Zoe’s lips.

  “It’s gonna be okay,” Zoe whispers. “It’s a good thing you’re coming home to fill everyone in on what’s been happening.”

  I smile and run the back of my fingers down Zoe’s cheek. I quickly drop my hand when my mom opens the door and gasps when she sees Bruiser. “Phoenix Sky Wolf, what have I told you about bringing stray dogs into our home? I thought you knew better than to do that.”

  I hold up my hand to stop the barrage of questions. “No mom, you don’t understand. Please wait before you decide.”

  “Why should I wait?” my mom challenges. “You didn’t even wait until Gizmo’s body was cold in the ground before you moved on to another dog. I’m disappointed in you.”

  “Mom! Stop please. Bruiser isn’t just any dog. He is a dog being trained to help me with my autism. He’s a service dog you know, like the guide dogs for the blind only this one’s for my autism.”

  Bruiser leans into my thigh and noses my hand. As the tone of my voice raises toward my mother, his alerts become more intense. Finally, I reach down and stroke his ears. His presence gives me enough time to slow down and catch my breath.

  “Oh … do you really think that’ll help? I’ve read stories, but I don’t know anyone who has a service dog.”

  “Yeah, he does really help. I am tackling things now that I was too scared to try before. He seems to make things easier for me. Strangers don’t focus as much on my weird body language and ticks with him around. He is a good way to start conversations. I just feel much more relaxed when he’s around.”

  My mom steps aside and ushers us in the house. I go toward the couches in the living room. While we are on our way, my dad steps in front of me. “Good looking dog there, son. How did you find him?”

  “He was hit by a car and no one knows who owns him. I found him and helped nurse him back to health.”

  “Well, all that’s well and good. But what if the old owners come back to get him after you’ve made him your working dog?”

  Zoe steps forward and offers an explanation. “Hi, I’m Zoe. I work at Hope’s Haven. We have made every effort humanly possible to find Bruiser’s owners. He’s such a nice dog I can’t imagine anyone giving him up. But, then again I’ve seen all sorts of strange things in my job. So, I guess nothing should surprise me anymore.”

  My dad reaches out to shake Zoe’s hand. “I guess that’s true enough, my name is Clarence. I’m Phoenix’s dad.”

  “I’m Phoenix’s mother Moon Water, but most folks just call me Moon these days,” my mom announces as she pulls Zoe in for a hug. Much to Zoe’s credit, she doesn’t cringe and pull away. Honestly, a lot of people think my mom is on the strange side.

  My mom works as a discharge coordinator for a large hospital and my dad is a CPA. My mom is a child of the 60s. My grandparents were bona fide hippies — back when hippies were the “in thing”.

  Clarence squats down and starts to pet Bruiser. I flinch. “Dad … can’t you see Bruiser’s working? It’s better if you don’t pet him.”

  My dad pulls away and stands up. “Sorry son. He doesn’t look like he’s doing much he’s just sitting there.”

  “It’s hard to explain exactly what Bruiser does for me. But, just having him around has made a world of difference. Zoe is training him to be a service dog for me,” I reply.

  My mom’s eyebrows lift as she looks at Zoe. “Isn’t this the dog that Phoenix found?”

  Zoe nods. “Yes, Bruiser is alive because of Phoenix’s fast action. He als
o seems to be incredibly in tune with your son. Hope’s Haven is a rescue organization. Phoenix did the right thing in bringing Bruiser to us. We place several dozen dogs a year in new homes. In this case, I think that the best match for Bruiser happens to be Phoenix. If I didn’t, he would be placed somewhere else.”

  My mom seems reassured by Zoe’s words. “Oh, thank heavens! You know, Phoenix just lost his dog Gizmo and I would hate for him to lose something else he was attached to just because someone came to get him.”

  “Mom, did you guys contact anyone about what happened to Gizmo?” Phoenix asks as he walks into the living room and sits on the couch. He pats a spot beside him and then places his arm around my back as I sit close to him.

  My dad looks so surprised it’s almost comical. He narrows his gaze as he drills me with questions, “I thought you said you met Zoe when she was helping you rescue Bruiser. It looks to me like there’s a lot more than just dog rescuing going on here. Are you sure you’re ready for all that?”

  I practically growl before I answer, “Dad! Way to embarrass me. I’m not a kid. I graduated from college and I have a stable, steady job. I’m up for a promotion.”

  My mom walks behind the couch and pats me on the shoulder. “We know, honey. But you have to admit, relationships are not your strong point. Does she know what she’s getting into?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ZOE

  Phoenix grips my hand tightly as I sit beside him totally stupefied. I just blink and shake my head in disbelief. Finally, I clear my throat and try to formulate a response which doesn’t get me kicked out of Phoenix’s home.

  “Yes, ‘she’ understands what’s going on. Phoenix is not the only person I know with Asperger’s.”

  “Well, just because you know one person doesn’t mean you know autism,” Moon counters.

  I lean forward and look directly at Phoenix’s mom who is sitting on the armrest of Clarence’s chair. “Yes, I'm aware of that too. Phoenix has been very open about himself. I’m going into whatever this is between us with my eyes wide open.”

  “You need to know loving Phoenix is not easy work.”

  “Perhaps not, but maybe it’s not easy to like me either. I’m shy, terribly awkward and can barely read. I’ve only known Phoenix for about three weeks. But, he has been incredibly supportive of me — even in situations where I know he is not the most comfortable.”

  Phoenix abruptly stands up and addresses his family. “Did you even bother to look at how things are between Zoe and me? I was holding her hand. I’ve taken her on a long motorcycle ride and we’ve gone tubing at the Springs. She has encouraged me to do things I’ve never been able to do. Why are you trying to ruin all that?”

  “We’re not trying to ruin anything. We just want you to be realistic about your … expectations.” Clarence replies.

  “Look Mr. and Mrs. Wolf, I don’t know how things are going to go with your son. I don’t think anybody knows. But, I do know he is one of the most compassionate, trustworthy and straightforward people I know. Right now, I need that in my life. Doesn’t he have the right to the same expectations as everyone else? He’s bright, funny, and more supportive than he needs to be.”

  “What about Oregon? I thought you were headed there to get a big promotion?”

  Phoenix shrugs. “We’re still figuring that out. But for right now, I’m here. Bruiser and Zoe need me.”

  “Are you sure Zoe is good for you? Usually, you have all the stuff figured out months in advance. She’s getting in the way of your plans.”

  “Mom! That’s not fair,” Phoenix yells, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. “Zoe got in the way of nothing. Life got in the way. You should be happy. For once I’m making decisions outside of myself. Isn’t that what you always told me? I had to care about other people and get out of my bubble? Well, that’s what I’m doing! I’m sorry if that upsets you.” Phoenix stalks back over to the couch and sits next to me. He grasps my hand again.

  “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to make you angry. The two of you need to make smart decisions together. Son, I know you try — but you’re not exactly normal.”

  “Oh good God!” I spit. “When did you ever hear me say I was looking for normal? I wasn’t looking for anyone at all when Phoenix came into my life. I’ve had it with men in general.”

  “Then what are you doing with our son?” Moon presses.

  “For now, I’m being his friend. We’ve got a lot of things to figure out before we move forward in our relationship. But, make no mistake. I like your son. I’ll admit he’s quirky, unusual and sometimes baffling. But, aren’t most people?”

  “Are you willing to give up everything for a ‘maybe’?”

  “Dad, you’re not listening to what I said. I’m not giving up anything. Zoe has made things so much easier for me. You cannot even imagine. I didn’t say I wouldn’t take the job in Oregon. Sure, this time I won’t be able to make the trek across the country on my bike. But it’s not the end of the world. I’ll get there somehow. Tristan and I have talked about it. He allowed me to have a few more weeks here before I have to interview with the new Identity Bank West.”

  Bruiser gets up from where he was sitting By Phoenix’s feet. He places his front paws in Phoenix’s lap and rests his head against Phoenix’s chest. Phoenix reaches out and starts to stroke Bruiser’s ears. I watch as he takes a deep breath and lets it out. I can feel a sense of calm come over Phoenix as he takes a few moments to gather himself.

  “I can’t tell you how things are going to go between us, because I don’t know. I like Zoe a lot. She has accepted my faults and quirks without making me feel bad. If you give our relationship a chance, I think you’d like her too.”

  “Son —” Clarence interrupts.

  Phoenix holds his hand up to stop his dad from speaking. “See what Bruiser is doing? He knows I’m upset and on the verge of a meltdown. So, he is interrupting my spiral of thoughts and keeping me calm. I wouldn’t have even known anything about service dogs for people with autism if it weren’t for Zoe. She has poured her heart and soul into training Bruiser to make it so I’m more functional. I’m here today because of Zoe’s help. If it were not for her, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to deal with Gizmo’s death. We came here today to check in on you to make sure everything was okay and you were able to get help from the police department.”

  “Why do you care so much about whether we turn this incident into the Sheriff’s office? They probably won’t do anything anyway,” Clarence snaps at Phoenix.

  Phoenix sighs. He runs his hand across Bruiser’s head. “There are so many reasons I care. I can’t just isolate it to one. But let’s start with the fact that people shouldn’t be allowed to poison dogs. Whoever did this should be caught. Secondly, someone is making threats against Zoe and I want to make sure the incidents are not related. I’ve been working with animals every day since I rescued Bruiser. I would be heartbroken if anything happens to any of them.”

  “Why didn’t you make that clear before?” Clarence asks. “We would’ve handled it differently if we would’ve known there were other things going on. We talked to a Detective Palmer. But we told him that it was probably nothing important. Maybe we should call him back and let him know about what’s going on with you.”

  I look over at Phoenix. “That name sounds familiar. Isn’t that who Cody works with?”

  “Who’s Cody?” Moon asks me.

  “He is the officer who has been responding to the threats against me,” I reply. “I think I’ll give him a heads up. I’d be devastated if something happened to your dog because of all the crap that’s going on with me.”

  Moon frowns at me. “What exactly is going on with you?”

  I press a little closer to Phoenix for support as I attempt to explain the chaos that is my life. “When I introduced myself, I didn’t tell you my full name. My name is Zoe Hurlington.”

  Clarence shoots a confused glance at Moon. “Isn’t that the fella�
��s name who’s been all over the news? Is he your husband or something?”

  I can’t help myself as I give a full body shudder. “Thank the Lord, no!” I exclaim emphatically. “It’s bad enough to be Vincent Hurlington’s little sister. I can imagine what it would be like to be married to him.”

  “What does your brother have to do with the reason why Phoenix isn’t going to Oregon?” Moon asks with a befuddled expression.

  I grip Phoenix’s hand a little tighter. “Do you remember the story of the runaway bride a while back?”

  “Yeah, I saw that in the paper. They did an update not too long ago. She saved the life of that guy she met in the bar while she was wearing her wedding dress. I never understood her. What kind of floozy goes running from the arms of one man into another?

  I shake my head vigorously. “No! You don’t understand. Katie is amazing. She didn’t do anything wrong. It’s a good thing she didn’t marry that guy.”

  “How do you know that? She could have left that poor guy at the altar —” Moon asserts.

  “I know because I was there. The guy she was supposed to be marrying is my brother, Vincent.”

  Moon gasps and places her hand over her mouth. “The guy who was charged with kidnapping that teenager?”

  I nod and wipe away a tear with the back of my hand. “The very same. That guy is my big brother. I was at the wedding and I saw what went down between him and his fiancée. My brother was downright abusive toward Katie. I completely understand why she ran away. I probably would’ve done the same thing. But, now since I was there I have to testify against my brother.”

  “Oh you poor thing,” Moon whispers.

  “You don’t know the half of it, Mom,” Phoenix interjects. “Her brother is not very happy with her. In fact, he has been leaving threatening items at her place of work.”

  “Don’t forget the lovely phone calls I’ve been receiving,” I add.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever forget those phone calls. He threatened to kill you and all the dogs you work with. That’s not something I could easily forget.”