Page 98 of Rat Park
“You know I love you. That’s not changing, Flor. Especially not because of something stupid like that.”
Dominic wondered, judging by the slightly startled look on Flor’s face, if he said those words enough.
“I love you too. That isn’t changing for me either, no matter how many stupid fights we have. Just…I get that you need to get away for a while sometimes, but don’t leave for too long, okay? Don’t…”
Dominic pulled Flor to him and Flor went readily, collapsing together against the couch. “Okay. And I’ll try to talk more.”
“I’ll try to talk less,” Flor replied.
Dominic snorted. Flor brushed the tip of his nose against Dominic’s jaw, his breath on his neck.
“Is this when we have make-up sex?” Flor murmured.
Dominic smiled and tipped his face into a kiss.
**********
Life went on. Winter ended, spring arrived, dragging summer on its tail.
Dominic started going to an actual AA program for the sake of group therapy. He became a sponsor not long after, and having someone depending a little on him was more anchoring than he would have thought.
The next autumn, when the second year of Flor’s medical degree had just started, Dominic found a dog on one of his Brown Paper Bag rounds. It was completely emaciated, snarling through dirty, matted fur, a tight collar digging into its neck from where it had been tied cruelly to a post.
Dominic spent an hour getting the dog accustomed to his presence. He approached slowly, bit by bit, until he could untie the dog from the post. The moment he did, the moment his hands stroked across the dog’s knobbly spine, it was as if the creature transformed. All its fear collapsed under the weight of its exhaustion, leaving compliance behind.
Dominic took the dog to the vet, who proclaimed her severely malnourished but unwounded and just cognizant enough to handle food. The vet gave Dominic a bag of special kibble and strict instructions, and Dominic took the dog home.
Flor only startled for a few seconds before helping Dominic wash her in the tub. The dog was mostly docile, only growling once in a while when she felt threatened, but never going for the bite.
“Why are some people such shit?” Flor asked when they were done, the dog collapsed on a blanket on the bedroom floor.
It was amazing to see the dog grow. She was of medium height, with shaggy, light-brown hair once it grew out, her eyes dark and intelligent. More slowly than her physical recuperation was her psychological one, but Dominic took her everywhere with him, even to the shop when Fiona okayed it, and she flourished under his attention.
“She loves you more than me,” Flor pouted one day, the dog sprawled on Dominic’s lap as they sat on the couch.
Dominic snorted. “I spend all day with her. It’s natural for her to be attached.”
“I bet you give her bacon. I should do that.”
Dominic shook his head and leaned over to give Flor a kiss. “Does it help that you’remyfavourite?” Dominic asked.
Flor smiled.
Tia, as the dog had been called, slipped seamlessly into their lives. Their apartment felt more like a home than ever, and she kept Dominic busy when Flor had strange hours and got home late. One of Dominic’s favourite things about living with Flor was that he got to fall asleep and wake up next to him, but there was also something about Flor crawling into bed late at night after a long shift and pressing into Dominic’s body that warmed Dominic through. Flor would wrap around him and let out a long, involuntary sigh, as if he’d reached exactly where he wanted to be.
Dominic would hold Flor back, an echo of that sound in his mind.
**********
The end of Flor’s second year was a crescendo of cymbals cut suddenly short by the summer heat. Flor completed all his exams, arriving home after the last one so exhausted Dominic found him sleeping on the bed with his shoes still on when he got back from work. Dominic made him eat something and change before tucking him back in to sleep through the night.
The lack of classes and projects left Flor a little rudderless as summer began, but he soon became accustomed to lounging in the house in little more than shorts. He’d binge-watch shows until Dominic got back and then climb all over him despite the heat. It was nice to have so much time together again, and they’d probably have spent all their spare time in bed if it weren’t for having to take Tia out.
They took a weekend trip to a beach that allowed dogs in during the crowded summer months and spent the days in the water, on the sand, running around. They managed to play with the paddles for a while until Tia escaped with the ball and they gave up, collapsing under the beach umbrella.
They were tanned and burnt to different degrees by the end of the weekend. As fun as the trip had been, Dominic was happy to be in their familiar apartment again, that smelt and felt like them, like home. They lay below the cool sheets that night and Dominic clung to wakefulness a little while longer even when Flor drifted away, wanting to exist in that moment for as long as he could.
It was a day like any other in the deep of summer, Dominic sitting on his heels on the floor, just cutting the last few strands of the long hair that hung over Tia’s eyes. Tia sat still and trusting, and Dominic pressed a kiss between her eyes as he set the scissors down beside him.
