Do not attempt too much at once. —Aesop
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"Are you warm enough, Judy? I can go back in and get you a hat, or a scarf."
"I'm fine, Sharla, thank you."
"So what did you want to talk about?"
Judy again wasn't sure where to start. But she decided she might as well start with "Bob." She cleared her throat. "Well, when we were talking about my relationship with Nick, you said you'd tell me about your, your situation when I was done with the book."
"Ah. Well, I'm not seeing anyone. I've never had a serious relationship. Some of that's because I'm shy. But also, well, because of Bob."
"Do you mean Bobby Catmull?"
"No one really calls him 'Bobby' since he grew up."
"Oh, I suppose not." Judy had once thought of going by "Judith" in everyday life, but she came from a family of multiple nicknames, and she thought of herself as "Judy," even if it didn't sound as serious. Then she realized something. "Are you in contact with him then?"
"A little. You know, social media, that kind of thing. He said to say hi to you after the County Fair."
"Oh. So." Judy hesitated again. "I'm still not clear what your relationship to him is. Is he just an acquaintance?"
"Yes, or a casual friend."
"But do you, do you have feelings for him?"
Sharla sighed. "It's not like, well, it's not like I'm obsessed with him or anything. But, yes, I had a crush on him when we were younger. And I never said anything. I wasn't brave enough to try for an interspecies relationship. And I don't think he ever thought of me that way. I was just the little sheep girl, you know?"
"But you don't know that for a fact, do you?"
"Well, no. But I couldn't tell him."
"You confessed it in your book!"
"Not exactly. I didn't say it was me, or him. And I doubt he'll make the connection."
"And what if he does?"
"Well, I guess it would depend on whether he sees it as a good or a bad thing."
"Did you write that hoping he'd figure it out?"
"I guess in a way I did. I was mostly trying to deal with my feelings. I mean, probably nothing will happen. But it felt good to say it, even indirectly."
"Have you thought about telling him now? I mean, you are in touch."
Sharla shook her head. "It would be too abrupt. It's not like you and Nick, where you were best friends and you went through a lot."
"Well, no. I guess maybe you'd have to work up to it."
"Besides, I'm not sure if this makes sense, but I've had the fantasy for so long that I'm afraid to give it up for reality, especially if the reality is very disappointing."
Judy nodded. "I see."
"Anyway," Sharla said wryly, "I seem to have created an environment that is not too receptive of mixed couples."
Judy thought of Chief Bogo saying, "Don't give yourself so much credit, Hopps. The world has always been broken." She sighed and said, "The prejudice was already there. Nick and I had to face some narrow minds even before your book got published. You've just brought things more to the surface."
"That still doesn't inspire me to ask Bob Catmull to dinner and a movie."
Judy laughed. "No, I guess it doesn't. But maybe you could risk asking him out for coffee."
"Maybe."
"Who knows? He might surprise you. In a good way, I mean."
"He might. And if he doesn't, can I cry on the phone to you?"
"Of course."
They hugged. Judy was glad they'd talked some more. They hadn't cleared everything up but she did feel better about Sharla and their friendship. Maybe by the end of their time in the safehouse, Sharla would end up Judy's best friend after Nick.
Judy wondered yet again how long this case would take. She and Nick had talked about weeks or even months. She wanted to protect Sharla as long as necessary, but she wished there was a way of knowing how long that would be. She suddenly had the feeling that it didn't matter what Sharla decided to do about Bob C., since Sharla wouldn't be able to go to the movies, or even coffee, until it was safe for her to be in public again.
"So you never guessed how I felt about Bobby? I mean back in high school."
Judy shook her head. "I'm not as tuned in to that kind of thing as some of my sisters are, and I think even they didn't notice." She suddenly felt a pang, wishing she could meet up with her sisters in the kitchen back home, pulling taffy and gossiping. But obviously this was not something she could share with even Gloria any time soon. Talking about it with Nick was different. He was her best friend and her boyfriend and her partner. Unless Sharla wouldn't want Nick to know. "Um, Sharla, is it OK if I tell Nick?"
"Of course. Unless he's planning on putting it out on his social media."
"No, Nick is pretty discreet."
"I was joking."
"Oh."
"He won't tease me about it, will he?"
"No, he doesn't know you well enough to tease you." That wasn't entirely true. Well, it was true that Nick didn't know Sharla very well. But he did sometimes tease animals he didn't know well. Not just Judy almost from the first but even Chief Bogo, whom no one else in the ZPD would dare tease.
Judy wondered for a moment how Bogo and the ZPD were getting along without her and Nick. Was it a relief to have them gone or were they missed? Well, Clawhauser probably missed them. She missed him, too. She missed a lot of animals, even though she hadn't been gone that long. Maybe it was because it felt like they'd be away for a long time.
"We should go back inside. It's chilly and you're not really dressed for it."
"Thanks, Mom," Judy grumbled. Then she thought of how Sharla would make a great mother, but she'd probably never have lambs because she'd either never let herself move beyond her crush on Bobby or because she'd get with him and they couldn't reproduce.
Sharla laughed. "Sorry, I'm used to treating Gareth like a kid, even though he's grown up now."
"Right. I'm that way with some of my siblings."
"I remember. Judy, do you—?"
"What?"
"Do you regret that you might not have kits?"
"Oh, not you, too!"
Sharla laughed again. "Never mind. Let's go back in."
Judy realized that she'd lost a chance to talk to someone who could understand her situation in a way that most female mammals couldn't. Well, there would be other chances. Neither of them was going anywhere for awhile.
