Chapter 14 - GOODBYES
“You want a puppy?”
Mercer looked offended.
“I’m capable of owning a dog.”
“You complained about dogs six weeks ago.”
“People evolve.”
“You called them a health violation.”
“Technically, I was correct.”
Ben stared at him.
Mercer sighed.
“Yes. I want a puppy.”
“Which one?”
“The female with the white spot.”
“Lucy.”
“You named them all?”
“Temporary names.”
“Sure.”
Lisa adopted the biggest male.
She named him Biscuit.
Officer Ruiz took the wild little boy who kept stealing socks.
She named him Bandit.
That left Champ.
The smallest.
The fighter.
Hundreds of people applied.
Ben rejected every one.
Too far away.
No fenced yard.
Worked long hours.
Already had three dogs.
Kids too young.
Apartment too small.
Finally Lisa said, “Ben.”
“What?”
“You’re not looking for a home.”
“I am.”
“You’re looking for a reason to keep him.”
Ben looked offended.
“That’s ridiculous.”
Champ was asleep inside Ben’s chef hat on the office floor.
Lisa pointed.
“He is literally sleeping in your hat.”
“He likes the smell.”
“That is disgusting and adorable.”
Ben looked down.
Champ opened one eye.
Ben sighed.
“Fine.”
Lisa smiled.
“Fine what?”
“He stays.”
“I’m shocked.”
On Ruby’s surgery day, Ben closed the restaurant.
He didn’t care how much money it cost.
Harold came with him.
So did Mercer.
So did Lisa and Ruiz.
Dr. Collins took Ruby through the surgery doors at eight in the morning.
Ben sat in the waiting room.
Nine o’clock.
Ten.
Eleven.
No news.
At noon, he stood.
“At what point do I become annoying?”
Ruiz looked up.
“You crossed that line years ago.”
At twelve-thirty, Dr. Collins appeared.
Ben stood so quickly his chair fell over.
“Well?”
“The surgery went well.”
He exhaled.
Harold closed his eyes.
Mercer muttered, “Thank God.”
Dr. Collins continued.
“We removed the mass and surrounding tissue. We’ll need follow-up testing, but I’m optimistic.”
Ben hugged her.
She laughed.
“Okay.”
“Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“No.”
Ruby came home two days later.
Champ slept beside her.
The restaurant settled into a new rhythm.
Customers still came to see Ruby.
But eventually the internet moved on.
Another story went viral.
Then another.
Ben was relieved.
He had never wanted to be famous.
He wanted to cook food.
Pay his workers.
Keep the lights on.
And apparently run an unofficial dog sanctuary behind a restaurant.
Three months later, Ruby was cancer-free.
Ben stood in the alley one evening after closing.
The air was cold.
Christmas lights hung across Willow Street.
Champ was nearly half-grown now.
He chased a tennis ball beside Ruby.
Ben smiled.
Then Harold walked toward him.
He carried an envelope.
“What’s that?”
“A letter.”
“From?”
Harold handed it over.
Ben opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Maggie.
Harold’s old Golden Retriever.
On the back, Harold had written:
SHE WOULD HAVE LOVED RUBY.
Ben looked up.
Harold wiped his eyes.
“Don’t say anything.”
Ben nodded.
Then tires screamed at the far end of the street.
A car swerved.
Someone shouted.
Champ chased his tennis ball off the sidewalk.
May you like
“CHAMP!”
Ben ran.
