Chapter 2

Daniel didn't let go.

His fingers clamped onto the handle like iron pincers, and his body didn't budge an inch.

"Nora, can you be reasonable for once?" His voice dropped. "Mom just bought Kelly a brand-new large dog bed, delivered this afternoon. Everyone thinks this is a wonderful arrangement, so why do you have to pick a fight?"

My hand froze in midair.

"Diane knows about this too?"

"Of course." Daniel nodded matter-of-factly. "Mom came with me to drop Archie off this afternoon. Mom said we should let Archie stay there for now, until Kelly completely recovers."

"Until she recovers?" I stared at him. "What if she doesn't recover in a year? Or two years?"

"Then he stays for a year, or two." Daniel's tone was completely casual. "He's just a dog. Doesn't he eat kibble wherever he is? At Kelly's, he can keep her company."

As he spoke, the phone on the coffee table began to vibrate.

Diane's name lit up the screen.

Daniel glanced at me, walked over to answer it, and put it on speaker.

"Daniel, is Nora home from work yet?" Diane's voice came through loud and clear. "Did you explain it to her? Kelly just got Archie settled and gave him some canned meat. Archie looked so well-behaved, and Kelly's mood is so much better tonight."

Daniel looked at my stony face and said into the phone, "Mom, Nora is throwing a fit right now, trying to go drag the dog back."

A long, heavy sigh came through the receiver immediately.

"Nora, you're listening, right? I know you love that dog, but Kelly needs him more right now. Besides, Kelly isn't working, so she has far more time to spend with him."

"He's my dog, Diane." I spoke directly toward the phone in Daniel's hand. "You gave my dog away without my permission."

"How can you call it giving him away? We're family, this is just helping out." Diane paused, a dismissive tone entering her voice. "Besides, Archie is seven already, isn't he? How many years can a big dog live anyway? Once Kelly gets better, or when Archie gets old, you two can just buy a new one."

"Buy a new one?"

My fingernails dug painfully into my palms.

Over these seven years, every checkup when Archie was sick, every midnight emergency vet visit, every vaccination, and every bath—I carried all sixty pounds of him up and down by myself.

In their eyes, seven years of life and love could simply be replaced.

"Archie will not stay there." I didn't waste my breath arguing with her, throwing only one sentence into the phone. "I'm going to pick him up right now."

"Nora! How can you be so selfish—"

I reached straight out and tapped the red end-call button on Daniel's screen.

The room fell dead silent.

Staring at the darkened screen, Daniel's face turned completely grim. "You hung up on my mother?"

"Move your hand." I stared at my husband, who had blocked the door again. "I'd rather not call the police for false imprisonment."

Daniel looked as if those words had stung him. He let out a cold sneer and finally released the doorknob.

"Fine, go get him. Go right now and rip the dog away in front of Kelly's face, let her know she matters less than a dog in this family. Nora, I don't even recognize you anymore."

I pulled the front door open, the night wind rushing in instantly.

"You never understood what Archie means to me, Daniel."

I shut the door behind me, cutting off his sigh and the sound of the TV.

The corridor sensor light flickered on as I strode into the elevator, pressing the button for the underground garage.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a photo Kelly had sent to the family group chat.

In the photo, Archie was cowering in a corner, a brand-new pink dog bowl placed before him.

The caption read: "Thank you, big brother and Mom, for bringing Archie to keep me company. Tonight, I finally don't have to face an empty house alone."

Relatives in the chat were already flooding it with likes.

Without typing a single word in response, I got into my car and fired up the engine.