The next afternoon Mom had just brought me in from outside and was unclipping my leash when I sensed there was something wrong with her. A new emotion came off her, accompanied by a sharp change in the tang of sweat on her skin. I sniffed her anxiously. “Good dog, Bella,” she whispered, but she wasn’t looking at me, she was staring off in the distance. “Wow, I feel really weird.”
Eventually she sat down to do Watch TV. Watch TV was where Lucas and Mom would sit on the couch and pet me, so I normally loved it. This time was different, though, because Mom was different. The bad smell was still there, and when she put her hand on me it felt shaky and tense. I was so apprehensive I jumped down and curled up at her feet, but a moment later was back up. Panting, I got down again and went to drink some water. When I came back, I sat and anxiously nosed her leg. Whatever was wrong with her, I could sense it was getting worse.
“What is it, Bella? Do you need to Do Your Business? We just went out.”
She went into the kitchen and pulled out the treat box. I loved the sound of that box coming out of the cupboard, but when Mom walked to the basement steps and opened the door, I was unhappy. She and Lucas liked to toss treats down there and have me run down and back up. Usually one of them said “good exercise.” I did not know what that meant and did not see why, if they wanted to give me a treat, they couldn’t just hand it to me or let me have the whole box. This time, though, I did not feel good about leaving her alone at the top of the steps when she pitched a couple of morsels down the steps.
“Bella? What are you doing? Don’t you want a treat?”
Even her voice alarmed me. I whined.
“Bella, go! Get your treat!”
Her meaning seemed clear, and those snacks at the bottom of the steps were luring me with their tantalizing odors. I ran down, needing Lucas. Whenever things were wrong Lucas would make them right.
As I gobbled the treats as quickly as I could, I heard a loud crash from overhead, a percussion that seemed to linger in the air.
Terrified, I dashed back upstairs. Mom was lying curled up on the floor. She was making small sounds and her hands were up by her face and were shaking.
I did not know what to do. I tried putting my head on her shoulder to give comfort, but her shoulder was rigid and did not relax.
I barked and barked. Mom stopped shaking as much after a moment, but her lips were moving and she made low groaning noises.
I was never more glad to realize, in that instant, that I could feel Lucas coming. He would soon be home. I was frantically waiting for him when his smell finally blossomed and the door swung open. “Bella? Why were you barking? You can’t bark in here! Mom? Hello?”
I ran from Lucas around the corner to where Mom lay. When he didn’t follow I ran back. He had gone into the kitchen and was pulling open drawers. “Your treats are out, did Mom give you a treat? Is she taking a nap?”
I barked.
“Hey! No, Bella!”
I ran back to Mom. Lucas was still in the kitchen. I stood over Mom and barked.
“Bella! Be quiet!” Lucas came around the corner. “Mom!” He ran to Mom and felt her neck. Then he stood up. I nuzzled Mom’s cheek. Lucas picked up his phone and after a moment was talking loudly, his voice full of fear. “Please hurry!” he shouted.
Not long after that, men and women came into our home. I could smell them, but Lucas had locked me in his room, so I couldn’t see them. There was a lot of noise at first, and then the front door closed and everything was completely quiet.
I was alone and frightened. I needed Lucas, but I could tell that he had left with all the other people. I did not understand what was happening, but I knew Lucas had been afraid and Mom would not wake up when he touched her. I put my fear into my voice, crying and whimpering, scratching the bedroom door, and then barked, so that people would know I was abandoned and frightened and needed a person to come help me.
No one came.
*
I missed Lucas so much I could think of nothing but feeling his hands on my fur. I would not be safe until he came home and let me out of the bedroom. The light filtering in the window had faded and I had smelled the change as the day turned into night and it seemed so very long ago. Now it was the time of night when only the quiet animals rustled in the grasses, and the birds were silent, and the cars going past were solitary and whispering, their lights briefly glowing in the curtains. Where was Lucas?
I was a bad dog. I had learned not to squat in the house, to do Do Your Business outside, but I now had no choice, and went to the corner and made a pile there. I knew Lucas would come home and shout “No!” at me. On the floor by the bed I found a long chewy thing with his smell on it and was gnawing it to bits when I at last felt his approaching presence and heard the unmistakable sound of his feet as he came toward the house. I was leaping frantically, yipping, when he opened the front door and finally, finally came down the hall to me.
“Oh, Bella, I’m so sorry.” He put his face down to mine so I could lick it. I cringed when he got papers and water to clean up the mess I’d left in the corner, but he did not yell at me. He picked up the chewy thing. “Well, I never liked that belt anyway. Come on, Bella, let’s go for a walk.”
Walk! The sky was starting to grow brighter and I heard birds and smelled Mother Cat and other dogs and people as we strolled down the street.
I hoped we were going to the park. I wanted to scamper joyously after squirrels, to run up the slide, to play and play.
“It was another grand mal seizure,” Lucas said. “She’s not had one of those for a long time. We thought the medication had it under control. I’m really worried, Bella. The doctors aren’t even sure what is wrong with her.”
I sensed his sadness but didn’t understand. How could anyone be unhappy on a walk?
Mom did not come home that day, nor the next. When Lucas did Go to Work I was left in the crate and barked out my frustration and fear at what was happening. Why did Lucas have to leave? Why wasn’t Mom home? Was she ever coming back? Was Lucas ever coming back? I needed my person. I would be a good dog and do Sit and provide comfort if everyone would just come back and let me out of the crate.
*
I was overjoyed the day Mom and Lucas entered the house together. I barked and whimpered, desperate to be let out of my crate. When Lucas opened the crate door I barely gave his face a swipe with my tongue before I ran into the living room and jumped on the couch where Mom was lying. She laughed as I licked her cheeks.
“Down, Bella,” Lucas told me.
I did not like “down.” When he clapped his hands, though, I knew that he was going to be angry, so I reluctantly jumped to the floor. Mom reached out to stroke my head, which was almost as good as lying with her on the couch.
“So what does the notice say?” Mom asked.
“Basically, because we have a dog, we’re in violation of our lease. We’ve got three days before they call animal control and start eviction proceedings.” Lucas sounded gloomy. I wanted to go to him to provide comfort but I also wanted to remain so Mom would keep petting me.