Winners Don't Have Bad Days (Watty 2020 Winner, Romance)

38. #Blue, January 2019

Toby whimpered in his sleep, startling himself awake. He sniffed the air, climbed out of his bed and went to look for comfort in Mike's lap. 

"Sorry, old chap." Mike pushed the wet nose away from the body parts he rarely enjoyed sharing with others. Sitting cross-legged with ease was a perk of slimming down, but it had its disadvantages too... "I'm nearly done."

He snapped the last handful of LEGO bits into their places. After placing each, he picked a small slice of melon from a bowl sitting on the floor next to him, carefully chewed and swallowed it. Finally, out of both LEGO and melon, Mike leaned back to enjoy his handiwork. 

"What do you think?"

The dog shook his head, sending the silky ears flapping.

"Oh, I see. Well, you have to know the story to appreciate it." 

Mike fished out his phone and snapped pictures of Winterfell from every angle. Toby, who had never taken a selfie before moving in with him, developed a taste for it right away. So much for not being able to teach an old dog new tricks, Mike kept chuckling to himself. The downside of proving the adage wrong was that Toby photo-bombed every shot.

Mike scrolled and scrolled until he found a few that had at least 60% of Winterfell to dog ratio. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and typed with stiff fingers...

I fixed it.

He stared at the words, wondering if he should add more... and he didn't. He hit send.

The jittery anticipation roiled the melon in his stomach... He relaxed, counting down from thirty, the way they taught him, fighting the gag reflex. 

He would see Daya soon... just a few days to go. And then... well, it was up to her.

"Come on, Toby, go get your leash. Let's go say hi to auntie Carol, you're going to visit with her for a few days."

Toby whimpered again and gazed at him with soulful eyes. Mike hardened his heart. "Come on, Toby, she adores you, so don't give me the lip." But he couldn't leave on this harsh note, so he had to drive straight to the airport after dropping Toby off, and floor it.

Part of him welcomed the rush, because he didn't have time to worry about what was to come.

In every human lives a nomad and a homesteader, the raider and the lover of peace, it's the genome, and the ancestral memory as basic as the fear of snakes. We carve the best of history with a sword of change, and every life is history in miniature, hence... 

Strapped in his seat 35 thousand feet high in the air, he grimaced, thinking of so many examples to the contrary, when upheavals destroyed everything.

It'll be all right. I have help. After all, this woman was his natural ally. And their relationship was thawing. And blood was thicker than water.

The airplane, oblivious to his unfinished inner struggles, pointed its nose to the runway of Vancouver International.

***

"Honey!" Juliana exclaimed, first drawing him to her chest, then setting him at arm's length for an inspection. A worried wrinkle creased her perfect brow. "How are you?"

This was not just a polite greeting, so Mike pushed hair out of his face and smiled.

"Better, thank you. Sorry, I didn't join you for Christmas."

"Nonsense," Juliana said firmly. "It's dreadfully awkward for everyone involved. Now shopping... well, that's something we haven't done together since you've turned twelve. It should be... interesting."