Page 39 of Cava with My Colleague

“The same I think. He’s⁠—”

The door buzzer goes off. That’s Jade.

I buzz her up, all while updating the vet’s office on Izan’s condition. I leave my front door open a crack. Izan is too busy following me—and too slow—to make an escape.

“We want to try to fit Izan in, but I can’t guarantee anything. Can you come in as soon as possible to our Retiro location?” the woman on my phone asks. “I think we’re more likely to get you in there.”

“Hello?” Jade calls from the door. “Carlos?”

“Come in,” I shout. I’m writing down the clinic’s address and instructions from the woman when Jade steps into my living room. Izan notices her and huffs his way over for a sniff. Jade squats down to pet him. “Okay,” I tell the woman. “Thank you. See you soon.”

I hang up and turn around just in time to see Izan flopped over on his back, Jade crouched down next to him, giving him a vigorous belly rub.

“Careful! He’s⁠—”

I’m too late. Jade’s hands pass over the tender spot and Izan yelps and then snaps at her. Jade lets out her own yelp of surprise and then crashes to the floor on her ass.

“Are you all right?” I crouch down next to both of them. Izan whines, his tail between his legs, pacing and whimpering in confusion.

Jade sits on my floor for a moment, blinking. Something moves across her face—I’ve learned to recognize it now, that particular flicker that means she’s composed a sentence and then censored herself around me. Her mouth opens, closes.

Whatever it was, she swallows it.

Then her brows pull down in concern and she coos at my dog. “Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Her voice has gone high-pitched. Izan paces just out of her reach, whining again.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “He’s got a lump.” I swallow my own lump in my throat. “It’s hurting him. I was just on the call with the vet. Did he bite you?”

“Oh no. No, he didn’t get me. It was close though.” Her voice switches back to the high-pitched one. “You’re okay, buddy.” She holds the back of her hand out to Izan.

We both watch him sniff and lick her, and then his tail comes out into a full wag. Jade’s smile blooms. “See? Everyone’s okay.”

I shift to sit across from Jade, my back against the kitchen cabinets. We both give Izan some much deserved affection.

Finally, though, I check my watch and sigh. “We need to get going. I want to get there early.”

Jade’s gaze shifts from my dog to me. “Is anyone going with you?”

I gesture at Izan and she smiles.

“I meant human company,” she revises.

I know why she’s asking. What if I have to make a decision? What if I have to leave the vet’s alone today?

“No,” I say.

“Would you like some?”

15

Jade

Carlos is quiet on the way to the vet. Izan bounced up and down when his leash came out, and pretty much hasn’t stopped bouncing since. He’s also let out some truly heinous farts that we politely ignore.

I’ve never had a pet of my own. I would have loved to have one, but it’s hard when you travel a lot, and I would be a terrible dog parent. Unless it was super lazy.

But I’ve seen enough of my friends lose their pets. I get it. And now, looking at Izan’s mostly gray face, my throat clogs for Carlos. I was a little surprised that he took me up on my offer to accompany him, but I’m glad to be helpful. I was meeting Manny and some of his friends for lunch, but I texted him not to wait for me.

At the vet, I go into the exam room with Carlos. Since it’s a Saturday they don’t have as many vets on staff as normal and I gather that we won’t be seeing the one Carlos is familiar with. Izan sniffs the corners of the room and then flops down with a big sigh. I wonder if he thought we were going to the park, or if his old doggie brain was just excited to go anywhere, period.