e shift at the elementary school library, the extra ca

car dealership, he always said m

when I got home and saw the email confirmation

Grand Steer' 7:00 PM," it

g something special for us, for me an

hanksgiv

to save every penny, convinced

e dealership's poor perfor

as high-end, the kind of plac

, picturing Emily's excited fac

ngs were

flutter in my chest, imaginin

my hand as I rushed out, giving him a qui

oor like usual, just looked

d have

er, a little breathless, a

"Good evening, are you joi

m," I sai

semi-private alcove,

was Emily, her laughter ec

y weren

ting possessively on his arm, was

regnant, her belly round

fect little family unit, and

or me, but I couldn't move, my

t even not

ing, a cold dread se

ica, his voice low and intimate,

up at Jessica, com

rds, "Don't you worry about a thing, babe, especially n

mach c

"...and Buster, well, I had him taken care of. He

"Oh, Mark, you're

prickling sensation

n car

id tha

st

g Buster, who wo

d Jes

lie, it h

oor when I left, he'd j

ed together with

about Buster shedding, ab

"need for a stres

ll shelter, the one Mark had sn

I'd picked up from an empty side table I w