"You sure you don't want me to help you in before I leave?" Kelly asked.
"Samantha is quite capable. I want to watch the sunset." Patricia answered, running her fingers through her companion's soft fur.
"Your phone's in the cup holder so call if you need anything, and don't forget it when you go in."
"I won't." Patricia listened to her daughter's foot falls fade. An engine started and drifted away.
Alone at last, she could tell from the change in the sounds that night was creeping into town. The last hints of barbeque gave way to smells of grass and flowers. The last warming ray of sunlight slid from her skin and the breeze rustled the trees. The voices of neighbors, talking and laughing, rose and fell under the compulsive chirping of crickets. A scuttling behind her turned her head, she listened, imagining a squirrel finishing its chores to settle in for the night. A loud flutter turned her again as a bird rushed home. A commotion of sandpipers erupted, perhaps a cat had come too close to their nest. She could feel the day's heat dissipating as the sounds of her neighbor's voices trailed off, going in for the night no doubt.
When the multi-pitched horn of the night train signaled its arrival on the edge of town, Patricia carefully stood, her fingers tracing a path along Samantha's harness to the handle. "Time to go in Samantha," she said once she was certain she had a good grip.
The dog did not move.
"What's wrong?"
The wet nose nudged her free hand and Samantha whined.
"Right, my phone. What would I do without you?"
