Vet
Wilson noticed it again, that click, click, click. Rex, their golden retriever walked, or rather, tap danced, his way across the oak floors in the kitchen. "Julie? When was the last time we took Rex into the vet to have his nails clipped?" He called into the family room where Julie was drinking coffee and watching Home and Garden.
There was a pause, did she just huff? "I don't know. When did you take him last?"
Oh. It was like that. He looked up the number on the list on the fridge and found that they could take him, if he could get there in fifteen minutes. "I'm taking Rex to the V-E-T." He called back into the family room.
"K." She said back, leafing through an edition of Veranda. She had been talking about re-doing the mud room.
He got the lead and stooped down, talking as he attached it, "Who's going for a ride? Wanna go for a ride?"
Rex gave him a puzzled look and woofed when he heard the word ride. His feathery tail swished back and forth as Wilson led him out of the house and into the Land Rover.
As Wilson started the engine he swore the needle perceptibly moved downward. He backed out of the driveway slowly. Neighborhood kids were playing hockey in the street, so he waited for them to move out of the way before he headed slowly up the street.
When they bought this house, in this neighborhood, they did so because of the schools. It had been three years since then. Looking around his disappointment was acute. Now he was thankful, thankful that the children for whom they had bought the house, failed to materialize.
He had a flash where he fantasized about the tragic accident that would kill Julie. She wouldn't suffer, but she would ascend to heaven in a robe of white. Then he felt guilty. Rex barked at a poodle in the car next to them and he came back into himself. He shook his head and cursed at himself for thinking such an evil thought.
Rex barked again when they pulled into the vet's office. Rex wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he did remember enough about what happened in that building to be wary. "Come on, you big baby!" Wilson pulled on the lead and Rex dutifully jumped out of the passenger seat.
"Hi Rex! Hi Dr. Wilson!" Jeri chirped from behind the counter. "Susan's waiting for you in the back."
She showed them into the room and Rex jumped up on the steel table without too much protest. Susan made quick work of clipping his nails. He didn't even whimper.
"He's a good boy!" She said, letting her voice go up an octave on the last syllable. Rex barked in agreement and she gave him a biscuit. She checked his chart, "He's due for an update on his shots in a few weeks." She said to Wilson.
He nodded. "Thanks." They left and Rex seemed antsy. Or was he just projecting his feelings onto his dog. As Wilson pulled out of the parking lot, he steered away from home. In his mind he wasn't avoiding his house; he was taking the dog for a ride.
He slid the moon roof back and let the cool autumn air into the cockpit. He turned up the radio and tuned in an eighties station. Sister Christian played and melancholy crept over him. That was the song he remembered most from high school. It reminded him of graduation and for him it symbolized everything about starting his adult life. Where was he going? What was he looking for? Motoring.
Rex looked at him, trying to read his thoughts. Wilson pulled into a Burger King and ordered a plain burger for him. At least Rex was happy.
Where else to go? He was tired, too tired to go back home. He headed towards the only place it made sense for him to go. The dog park. Everyone there was always happy to see Rex, and some of the female dog owners were happy to see Wilson.
Just one more stop before heading out. A cup of coffee and the newspaper.