“Honestly?” He answered. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say wolf tracks.”
“Wolf tracks? Do we even have wolves in Virginia?” My skepticism made me snicker, but I had to wonder, Do I have wolves in my backyard?
“Well, I doubt it was a wolf,” Officer Barnes chimed in. “The tracks are just large—definitely larger than a coyote and your average dog. But I will say that there’ve been animals caught with wolf DNA in them.”
“What does that mean?” I was getting more confused and frightened by the minute.
“Some researchers believe that coyotes may have mated with wolves—most likely up in the New England area. So now there is some sort of coyote-wolf hybrid. And they seem to be moving further south—even into Virginia,” she explained.
“And that’s what came into our yard last night?” I wanted an answer.
“Ma’am, we just don’t know. Without some more testing, I can’t say for sure. On the other hand, it isn’t unreasonable to assume that a large dog got loose in another neighborhood, wandered around the woods behind your house, and found a way into your yard.”
I nodded, sure that was the answer. There were other neighborhoods not far from us, and I had no doubt that some of the residents had larger dogs. That certainly seemed like a more reasonable explanation than wolves or some hybrid roaming around my backyard.
The officers finished up their evidence gathering and assured me that it was probably just a dog.
“But either way, try not to come out back for a few days. In case they return for the body,” Officer Bryant warned us, and Sam and I just nodded in agreement.
They told us they would be in touch if anything unusual showed up in their tests, but otherwise we were free to use the backyard, with caution—their words, not mine.
I showed them out while Sam locked up the kitchen door.
“Mom, I don’t know if I want to leave you home alone.”
I had to laugh again. “Sam, come on! It’s probably just a dog. They’re right. These woods back up to another neighborhood. A dog probably got loose, got lost, and snuck into our backyard. It’s fine.”
I actually believed that, convinced that it was a one time thing. I assured Sam that we would be fine, and that he should run up and get cleaned up for work.
* * *
All of a sudden, Sam was a vet’s assistant, and I couldn’t have been more surprised.
Brian bought me a dog right after Carey was born. At first I was annoyed. Sam was almost 4. We had just brought Carey home. I didn’t really need a puppy. But Homer was such a sweet dog—a sad-faced, droopy-eared Basset Hound—that before I realized it, I adored him. He followed me around the house—probably because I fed him crackers all the time—and was so sweet with Carey. Carey took his first steps holding on to Homer’s ears. The poor dog was probably just trying to get away from my loud, little boy.
When Jimmy was born, Homer would sleep on the floor next to Jimmy’s crib. I’m not sure why Homer became so attached to Jimmy, but the two of them were inseparable. When Jimmy started school, I don’t know who missed whom more. Homer waited for Jimmy every day. When the bus came, he perked up and barked happily. The girls loved him, but in the end he was Jimmy’s dog—or mine if Jimmy wasn’t around. Jimmy was heartbroken for weeks when Homer died.
“MOM!” Jimmy screamed. I had never heard him yell like that. “MOM! Come quick!”
I ran outside to see my son kneeling in the road. A terrified woman was standing near her car door. Jimmy had taken Homer out, and something must have scared him. He jerked away from Jimmy, got out of his collar, and ran into the street. The woman that hit him said she tried to stop, and that he just came out of nowhere. I ran into the street to see Homer take his last breath in Jimmy’s arms.
“NO! NO! Homer, don’t die. Mom, get the car. We can take him to the vet.” Jimmy was distraught, tears streaming down his face.
Brian pulled up at that moment and didn’t even pull his car into the driveway. He just parked on the road and ran over to us. “Oh, God. Jim, what happened?”
He knelt next to our son, who refused to let go of his dog. He was still yelling at me to get the car, but Homer was gone. Blood was soaking into Jimmy’s shirt.
“Buddy, let Mom take you inside, okay?” Brian looked up at me and nodded.
I moved to take my son from his beloved dog, and my heart ached to see Homer’s broken body.
“MOM! Stop it! Let go of me!” Jimmy tried to reach for Homer again, and I pulled him away, almost picking him up. Finally, when he saw that his dad was taking good care of Homer, he let me bring him into the house.
Brian took Homer to the vet, and we had him cremated. The vet gave us a lovely urn, and Homer still sits on Jimmy’s bookshelf underneath a picture Carey had taken of the two of them in the backyard.
After Homer died, no one seemed to be in a hurry to get another dog. Thinking about it, maybe it was a good time to consider one—something big, something that could warn me if someone or something wandered into the backyard. But Sam, in particular, showed little interest in animals. Sure, he had loved Homer, but he just never expressed a great interest, and certainly not a desire to work with animals before. Not too long after he decided to stay home from college, he came home one day excited about getting a job at the local animal hospital. I suppose he was just excited to have a job. He had worked at Burger King in high school and had been a lifeguard at the local water park, and he enjoyed neither job. But he liked having spending money, so I just figured he was happy to have a job and could call off the job search.
* * *
I could hear Sam rustling around upstairs, getting ready for work, and I decided to go up to see what Carey was doing. I found him in his room reading, so I left him to it. Maybe later I could convince him to call up his friends and go hang out with them.
I went downstairs, and then found myself standing, almost lost in the family room. What was I going to do with myself for the day? We had gone through all of Brian’s clothes, and I just wasn’t up to tackling his workshop. I’d figure that out later.
I wandered into the kitchen to see about lunch and was not surprised to find that we were out of milk... oh wait, eggs too. And really? I just bought cold cuts! I guess I knew what I was doing.
“Carey?” I called up to him.
I heard him get up and come running down the stairs. “What’s up, Mom?”
“We seem to be out of like... everything. So I’m going to run to the store. Want to come?”
“Where are you going?” I suppose he needed to see if it was worth it for him to come.
“The grocery store. Why? Do you need something?”
“Well, if you go to Harris Teeter, can I go to the bookstore?”
Barnes & Noble was right next to the grocery store, so why not? I told him that was fine, and he ran upstairs to get his wallet and shoes.
“SAM!” I yelled.
“YEAH?” He yelled back at me.
“We are going to run to the grocery store, okay? You gonna be home for dinner?”
“Umm... I don’t know. Got to walk the dogs and stuff, so I’ll probably be home around 8.” He came to the top of the stairs so at least I didn’t have to yell as loudly.
“Well, just let me know. I’ll save you a plate, just in case.” I blew him a kiss and told him to tell Carey I would be in the car waiting for him.
I grabbed my purse off the kitchen counter and made sure the back door was locked.
Crap! I forgot that Anthony and Bee took the van to the water park with all the kids. Sam had to get to work, so that left me with one choice.
* * *
I went into the garage and turned the light on. There it was—Brian’s dream car. A 1969 Dodge Charger R/T. He spent over two years finding parts, fixing it up, and then finally getting it painted. It was a beautiful, glossy finish.
One day out of the blue, Brian had asked, “Jul, where’s that red lipstick you always wear?”
/> “What? What are you doing?” I stuck my head out of the shower as Brian rummaged through my makeup.
“Today’s the day, sweetie. It’s ready.” He looked like a little boy on Christmas morning, and I knew exactly what he was talking about.
I laughed, “And you need my lipstick why?”
“That’s the exact color I want her to be, babe. That sexy, wet red. I want to bring it in and show the guy at the auto body shop.”
“I think it’s on my dresser. I wore it last night when we went out to dinner, and I think I put it there. It’s in a gold tube, and it’s called Spanish Red.”
A few seconds later, Brian stuck his hand in the shower. “Is this it?”
“That’s it. Now, why don’t you put that on the counter and come in here with me.”
I smiled at the memory, and my eyes filled with tears as I looked at the gorgeous, cherry red car. He had it chopped into a convertible for me. I don’t know how many times he told me that there was nothing sexier than seeing me sitting next to him with the wind blowing my hair all over the place. I loved the car, and I hadn’t even taken it out since he died. Sam started it once in a while. He kept telling me that Brian would be pissed at me for just leaving it in the garage. It was supposed to be our fun car, and I know he would want me to drive it. Brian used an old truck for work, but I got rid of that months ago.
I slid into the front seat and ran my hands over the smooth, black leather. It was cool in the dark of the garage, and I closed my eyes remembering.
“Mom?” Carey called to me quietly a few moments later, not wanting to interrupt the memories that were flooding back.
“Oh. Hey, sweetie. I’m good. Can you open the garage door and grab my grocery bags? I forgot them.”
He gave me a thumbs up and ran back into the house. A second later, he came running out with the bags, and he jumped into the front seat, throwing them over his shoulder so that they landed on the back seat.
“Okay. Ready.” He seemed to be in better spirits, and that warmed my heart.
“You want to grab some lunch first?” I asked him.
“Oh, yeah. My stomach is growling! Can we put the top down?” He asked.
“Sure.” I backed out of the garage, flipped the latches, and pushed a button. The top lifted and tucked itself away in the back.
The shopping center was only about 10 minutes from our house, but we would pass just about every restaurant known to man on the way there.
“What’s appealing today?” I asked. I wasn’t picky.
“Umm... I’m kind of feeling like pizza.”
“Okay. Tony’s it is.”
* * *
Tony’s was a local pizza place. It was actually the first business that Brian remodeled. He had always been grateful to the founder’s son and current owner, Thomas Carideo, for giving him a chance. And they had a great pizza buffet during lunch hours. We pulled into Tony’s a few minutes later and hopped out of the car. Carey walked ahead of me and opened the door.
“Wow! What a gentleman.” I smiled. He must want something.
“Julie!” Thomas was behind the counter, and he called out to me.
“Tommy! How are you?” I asked him. It had been a while since we had been in, but Tommy and Brian had been friends, as well, and he had come to Brian’s funeral.
He came around the counter and gave me a hug. He shook Carey’s hand and remarked on how big he was getting.
“I’m good. Hey, Leo is pregnant again!” Tommy informed us. Leo, short for Leonora, was his wife.
“No? Congratulations!” I gave him a hug and meant it.
“Thank you. She’s due in October, so she’s starting to get big. She ain’t happy about being so big in the summer, but she’s healthy.”
I nodded and smiled. “How is Lessa?” Tommy’s oldest daughter was a year younger than Carey.
“She’s good. Going to be a sophomore this year.”
“Does she have her schedule yet?” Carey piped up.
“I don’t think so, though I’ve been so busy lately. Marco up and quit on me.” Tommy threw his hands up.
“Marco? Was he new?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. He had only been here a few months, but he walked out last week—no explanation, no notice. Just up and quit. And I just haven’t been able to find a replacement.”
“What did he do?” Carey actually seemed interested.
“Oh, a little bit of everything. Took orders. Cleaned up. Made the pizza dough. I’m here by myself now.”
It was late, well after 1, so I know we missed the lunch rush.
“You did the buffet rush alone?” I asked. I didn’t envy him. The place was a madhouse at lunch time.
“Leo comes in to run the register, but she’s getting tired. This pregnancy isn’t like the last one. Harder.”
“I could help you, Mr. Carideo.” Carey looked excited. “I’m a fast learner and a hard worker.”
Tommy seemed to consider the offer. “You want to work here? Are you sure? I’ll pay you good, but you have to work hard. Got to be on time—no playing around. If your friends come in, you are still at work. No goofing off. No giving out free food.”
Carey was nodding. “I know. I’ll work hard for you. I can work anytime, right Mom? Even later in the evening.”
“Well,” I interjected, “you can work late now, since it’s summer, but once school starts, school has to come first.”
Tommy nodded his head, agreeing with me. “Your mother’s right. During the summer is one thing, but I know you’re going to be a junior. That’s a lot of hard work right there, so we can see how things go. But hopefully by then I can get some extra help. But, if you’re willing to work, I’m willing to give you a job.”
Carey nodded happily. “I am. I can start Sunday… if you need me to.”
Tommy told him that would be great and to be there at 9 so he could fill out all his paperwork and get familiar with the shop.
“You and your mom get something to eat. I have a T-shirt in the back.”
We helped ourselves to some pizza, and I got a small salad as well. Tommy came back with a T-shirt with a huge pizza on it.
“I know it isn’t the coolest looking shirt, but this is what we wear. You can wear jeans if you want, but no shorts, okay? And your shoes have to be sturdy—no-slip soles.”
Carey said he understood, and we finished up our lunch. I paid, and we went outside to get in the car.
“My first job!” Carey reminded me. “I can’t believe it!”
“I know! I’m proud of you!”
“This was one of Dad’s first jobs, and now it’s mine. How cool is that?”
I assured him that it was very cool, and then told him we were going to go to the mall first.
“Ugh!” He grunted. “Why?”
“I don’t know if you have no-slip shoes. I’m sure your sneakers are, but they’re still in good shape. You can still wear them to school. So we’re going to get you some jeans and some new shoes for work.” I answered him.
He accepted that answer. On the other hand, he didn’t really have a choice. I was proud of him for taking a chance. And I was grateful to Tommy for taking a chance on him. Carey didn’t have much work experience, though he had been to work with Brian during the summer. It would be something new for him, and I was hoping it worked out.
* * *
We pulled into the mall, and I was surprised how crowded it was.
“Must be a big sale or something,” I remarked. I drove out to one of the farthest spots. Habit. Brian always parked out in the boondocks. He didn’t want anyone near his car if possible. I was going to give the car its due respect. We parked and got out of the car.
“This sucks. Why’s it so crowded?” Carey scowled.
“Well, it’s almost the Fourth. Maybe people are just getting ready to go out of town.”
“And they do this by coming to the mall?”
“Smart ass.” I smacked him playfully on the arm, and he laugh
ed.
“Ow! What’s up with that?” He asked as he tried to tickle me.
I laughed and dodged out of his way. It felt good to laugh. Carey didn’t do it enough these days.
“Alright. So jeans and shoes. Gap?” I ventured.
“Sure. But, I’d rather get them at American Eagle, if that’s okay?”
I told him that was fine, and we headed into the mall. It was a madhouse. Kids hanging out everywhere.
“Yo, CK!”
I heard it, but didn’t think anything of it, until Carey called back.
“Yo, B. What up?”
“CK? Is that new?” I teased him.
“Mom, shh...”
We walked up to a group of kids sitting in one of the many lounges sprinkled throughout the mall.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?” Carey asked the four boys and three girls sitting there.
They all called out their answers, and then Carey surprised me. “Guys. This is my mom. Mom, these are the guys.”
I smiled at them, though I only recognized one. “Luke, right?”
He was a tall, thin boy with bleached blond hair.
“Yes, ma’am. Nice to see you again.”
A few of Carey’s friends had come to Brian’s funeral. Many of the kids’ friends had been a bit shocked at the death. I think it reminded them of their own parents’ mortality, and they stayed away in fear. But Luke was one of the kids that had shown up to support Carey. He already had brownie points in my book.
“Hi, Mrs. K.” I looked over to the young lady that had called my name—sort of.
“Lessa?” I barely recognized the young lady in front of me. Tommy’s daughter was all grown up.
She laughed and walked over to me. “Yes, ma’am. How are you?”
Lessa was a tall girl, about 5’7”. She was just an inch or so taller than I was, and she was growing into a beautiful, young woman.
“You look more and more like your mom every time I see you!” I gave her a quick hug.
“Thanks. My dad keeps reminding me how lucky I am not to take after him.”
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