Step Outside

The longer she was away from people the more she wanted to spend time alone. But then her dog would let her know that he was ready for a walk. She would go outside with him. They usually had a destination, to pick up a book at the library. Today she saw a man with shiny black hair step out of a truck and a woman drive by while eating french fries and she remembered that being out in the world was good. When she returned home she noticed that her dog stank from nosing under the downtown shrubs. That's where raccoons, opossums, and skunks forage at night and they never bathe, she thought. She gave him a quick sponge-bath and towel dried him. She had a seat on the red couch and opened the book. Her dog curled up too placing his head on her lap.