Page 39 of Hazel and Elijah Find Out: First They F*cked Around

“It’s okay. I get it; I have a job that has emergency hours. You should answer it.”

“Okay, thank you. I’m so sorry.” I waffled between apology and gratitude as my phone continued to buzz. Answering it, I pressed it to my ear. “Hey Chelsea, what’s going on?”

Her voice came through strained, as if she was trying not to cry, and I was instantly more nervous about what she was going to say next. “It’s Echo, Brock’s dog…”

“Okay, what’s going on with Echo?” My tone had assumed the assertive professional detachment I tended to use during high-stress vet visits.

“He seems like he’s in a lot of pain—”

In the background, I heard one of her younger kids say,“Mom, he’s throwing up.”

“—He’s been in this position where his butt is in the air, and his face and front paws are on the ground. At first, we thought he wanted to play, but his tail wasn’t wagging. And he’s been in that position for a while, and now he’s throwing up.”

“Mm-hmm, can you get him to the clinic?”

“He doesn’t want to move, and he’s too big for me to pick up.”

“We’ll go get him,” Elijah said from behind me—clearly, he could hear the conversation happening on the phone.

“Send me your address, Chelsea. We’ll get him in your car and you can follow us to the clinic.”

“I don’t even want to ask, but how much is it going to cost?” Through the phone, I could hear one of her kids let out an appalled,“Mom, who cares aboutmoney? It’s Echo.”

But both Chelsea and I knew just how much money played a factor. She was a single mom, with her oldest son serving in the military, and two younger kids between twelve and fifteen. And I didn’t know how I would pay for this dog’s care if she couldn’t contribute any funds, but I also couldn’t stand to think of Echo being in pain, knowing I could help him.

I sounded more confident than I felt as I said, “Let’s take care of Echo, and we’ll discuss payment later.”

“I don’t have much.” Her shame came through the speaker, as if her lack of wealth was a character flaw.

“If it comes down to the clinic taking care of it, that’s what we’ll do.”

“Thank you, Hazel.”

“Send me your address; we’ll be right there.”

I stepped out of the examination room while Remi gave Echo fluids through an IV. Remi had agreed to assist me, even after I’d told him I didn’t know if I’d be able to pay him.

He’d paused, then said, “I’d pay you for the distraction today.”

I’d tilted my head.

His chest had fallen with a sigh. “Five years ago today, I got divorced…”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It probably shouldn’t fuck me up like it does. Anyway, I appreciate the distraction.”

In the waiting room, I found Elijah reading on his phone. His ankle was crossed over his knee, and one hand hung loosely toward the tile floor. He’d insisted on staying until I was done, promising we could continue with our date, or he could drop me off at my house if I needed to rest instead. But seeing the way he looked like a GQ model in my uncomfortable vinyl waiting chairs, I was feeling less tired.

Chelsea sat at the other end of the room with her two daughters, looking anxious. She was only about ten years older than me, but with a kid sitting on each side of her, and another one old enough to serve overseas, those ten years seemed like a larger gap. She was beautiful, but exhaustion was deep-set in the slouch of her shoulders and heaviness of her eyes. The kind of weariness that needed more than a nap to stave away, as if it was a constant pressure clinging to her piggyback-style.

Her oldest looked up, her eyes the same gray shade as her mom’s. “She’s back.”

Chelsea blinked, then met my gaze.

“Echo is okay.” I held up my hand in a comforting gesture.

She deflated with a sigh. The tension left the stiffness of her spine, and she fell back into the chair, her head resting against the wall. I looked down at my sensible sneakers, giving her whatever privacy I could as she blinked back tears. I couldn’t imagine having a son on the other side of the world, and then how terrible it would be to consider telling him that his dog wasn’t well… or worse.

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