Norman's Neighborhood

Fourteen

"Zane, where's the dog?" asked Valerie, closing the door behind her. She pulled the blue pencil out of her bun, let her hair loose, then gathered it up and twisted it back up on top of her head.
"γιαγιά told me to let him out," Zane explained. "I opened the back door" - here he gestured to the steel portal - "and he went out into the yard."
"Yaya told you?" his mother questioned, skewering the bun again with the pencil.
"Yes, I was in Santorini - I mean, I was studying about it and watching a video, and I felt like I was there! He was standing at the door, and I didn't notice until γιαγιά said, 'Zane, that dog wants to go out.' Just like that, she said it. So I let him out."
"Hmm... Remarkably lucid. She can be, sometimes," acknowledged Valerie, glancing sideways at her elderly mother-in-law, who was mumbling to herself as she picked at the fringe on her lap robe. 

The door opened and Sam appeared, carrying a small blue and white cooler. His bulky body made the room seem small.
"What's in there?" Zane asked curiously, pointing at the cooler.
"Something for later," Sam grinned jovially, then went over to his mother.
"How you doing, Mom? Tired?"
Yaya peered up at him and drew her wispy white eyebrows together. She pursed her mouth and continued regarding him silently, as if trying to place him.
"Have we met?" she queried uncertainly, holding out a gnarled, blue-veined hand politely as she added, "I'm Evamarie Axelsson."
"Sam Ganas," her son answered gravely, bending over her and clasping both of his hands around hers.

"Let's get home," Valerie suggested. "Zane, pick up your things, please. The kids should be back, shouldn't they?" she asked, turning to Sam worriedly.
"They probably are. I told Zach to park in the driveway. Mom, let me help you up," Sam instructed. He moved his right hand to grasp her left one and told her, "Now, push down against my hands and stand up!"
Valerie had the walker ready to place in front of her mother-in law.
"All set? Let's go!" Sam placed his hands on Yaya's shoulders and gently turned her toward the exit. She shuffled behind Valerie: scrape, rattle rattle, scuff scuff...

Sam picked up the cooler with its mysterious contents, and Zane followed with his tablet bag. Valerie pushed the door open, and almost tripped over the big gray dog lying a short distance from the door.
"Oh!" she gasped, pressing a hand to her throat. "I knew he was out here, but he startled me!"

Norman jumped up, wagging his tail hopefully. They had all stopped in their tracks, and were looking at him.
"What are we going to do with him?" Sam pondered. "We can't turn him loose on the street at this time of day... Guess we'll have to take him in the house."
Zane patted Norman on the head and announced,
"He'll sleep in my room!"
Valerie smiled and replied,
"If he wants to."

Norman hesitated, then followed the people slowly. Sam and Valerie steered Yaya down the concrete walk, toward the house at the other end of the yard. Zane walked beside Norman, chattering at the large dog as he went.
"Come on, you get to sleep in my room if you want to. I'll even let you sleep on my bed - except, you might take up too much space. Mmmh - maybe you should stay on the floor. You can have a blanket..."

At the door, Norman stopped. Should he go in? He still felt a little responsible for Yaya's safety, but he couldn't stay with these people forever - he missed his own family and wanted to go back home! On the other hand, he felt comfortable knowing that Zane was a friend of Todd. Maybe the Ganas family could help him get back where he belonged.
He stepped over the threshold.