I Never Forgot You, Old Friend

Peter followed the old country road he knew like the layout of his parents' house. The very car he drove now he had been a gift, a sort of rite of passage meaning he was in charge of his own upkeep, bills -- and his fate. And, he thought, a car is not cheap to take care of. It was a wonder that he was trusted to manage his own life on his own.

The road took its last familiar curve and he saw the house he had lived in three summers ago. It was just as it had been, as if frozen in an instant. He stopped just outside of the wooden fence and stepped out of his car. His boots hit the ground and suddenly he was back, surrounded by the smells of manure and horse piss.

How anyone could live without it he would never understand. Thank God, he thought, that I kept these boots all this time. He traversed the gravel path toward the ranch and wondered if Tip was still roaming. Sadly, he doubted it. He turned back toward his car, pondering if he should just take in the scenery and leave. He wondered if he would be welcome after what he pulled.

Then a cheerful bark reached his ears and he smiled in spite of himself. He turned back around and found himself face to face with a large black and-white spotted dog. Its muzzle was graying but she was clearly the same puppy that Peter had rescued all those years ago.

"Oh, hello there, Oreo. Yeah, heya," Peter said goofily. He wondered if he sounded like an idiot, but he found he really did not mind, because this was his baby. And Oreo did not mind either, because this was her boy.

Kristen woke early, a common practice since that fateful summer. She thumped down the stairs and poured a bowl of cereal. Just as she was about to munch, Oreo came down the stairs as well.

"Hey, boy. You want some Special K?" Oreo sat and panted expectantly. She tossed her a flake and Oreo snapped it up. She finished the bowl with one hand and pet Oreo with the other hand. Once she finished, she washed her bowl out, then took Oreo outside.

As they sat together on the porch, Kristen thought through her schedule. Coming up, she had a Pentatonix concert with Danny Frost. That would be important to make. Tonight she had a date with Jake Petkovsek. Important, but not too much. He was, after all, a bit self-centered. He was probably going to make a move soon. Oh, there was just too much to think about and not enough time! She rubbed her temple, trying to assuage the oncoming headache.

Without warning, Oreo perked up and made a small barking noise. "Gruff!"

"No, no, no!" said Kristen, but it was too late. Oreo hopped up and chased whatever noise she had heard. "Just wonderful," she muttered. If the dog got over to the neighbors and chased their cows, it was game over for her nights out. She heard the barks fading as Oreo ran over the hills.

"Where's the dog?" yelled Mrs. Johnson.

"I'll get her," Kristen moaned, then scrambled to her feet. She followed the sound of Oreo's bark over the mounds of earth and grass until the gravel path began. She saw Oreo down the path a little way, and Oreo was with someone. A shiny blue car gleamed in the sunlight. Unless one of her dad's friends had gotten a new car, this was someone new. Paradoxically, Oreo was familiar with the man, giving him dog kisses.

"Oreo seems to like you," she called to the man. It took a second for the man to turn around, but when he did, he stood up and looked her in the eyes. His trimmed stubble made him seem older than he was, but behind that was a very familiar form.

"Peter?" she asked hesitantly.

The dog kept hopping on him and licking his face. He remembered these kisses so well. It made him feel as if he were three years younger.

"My dog seems to like you," a female voice said somewhere near him, and he nearly didn't register that she was addressing him. That voice was so familiar, though. He turned away from Oreo to find the woman who had addressed him. Their eyes locked and he stood up quickly, his eyes never leaving hers.