Page 75 of Lulu
I glanced up when the door opened and the elderly woman breezed in with the energy of someone twenty years younger. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Rodriguez. Stephanie is getting Birdie for you now.”
“Hi, ladies,” she smiled, greeting us both. “Was my little baby a good girl for you?” She handed Megan her credit card.
“She always is,” I lied. I’d learned early on that pet owners got very defensive when you criticized their fur babies. “There she is now.”
Mrs. Rodriguez turned in the direction I was looking, the smile widening on her face when she saw Stephanie. Stephanie held the carrier up so that the woman could look inside and see Birdie. “Oh, my goodness, she smells so good!” She grabbed the handle out of Stephanie’s hand. “Thank you! See you next time!” She picked up her credit card and turned to leave.
“Another happy client,” Megan said.
I eyed Stephanie. “Has Hugo been picked up?”
“Yup.”
“Go clean those scratches before you forget.”
She saluted me. “Yes, ma’am!”
Megan rolled her eyes, and then they turned serious. “Is Dr. Bowers okay?”
Elizabeth had told me what was going on with her, but it wasn’t my place to tell Megan and Stephanie. If she wanted them to know she would tell them. I nodded. “She’s good.” She was dealing with a health issue, and I hoped I would be able to say the same after Tuesday.
Megan accepted my response without questioning it further. The three of us had worked together long enough now to know certain tells about each other. Supposedly I had an office voice that warned them when not to push me.
The afternoon flew by as Elizabeth and I dealt with the yearly examinations and shots for a terrier and a greyhound. The third was a follow-up appointment for a cat that had been attacked by another animal. The poor thing was bald in several places now, and had been stitched up like Frankenstein. We had some time before our last appointment showed up, and I found myself following Elizabeth to her office.
I plunked down in the chair in front of her desk and studied her. She looked tired and a little pale. “Why don’t you go home? We have one appointment left, and all they want to do is board their cat for the night.”
She leaned back in her chair with a sigh and gave me a tired smile. “Have you ever thought about becoming a vet?”
Where had that come from? “I did once, when I was younger.”
“What changed?”
She knew my story. I’d broken down one day during lunch in her office and had told her, so it surprised me that she’d ask that question. God, I didn’t want to get into it again, so I kept my answer short and sweet. “Time and money.” Time, including all the years I’d lost when I’d been hiding instead of going to school to purse my dream. Money, because I had none.
Her laugh didn’t last long. “You don’t want to talk about it.”
I shook my head. “Not really. Not right now.” I knew that she’d understand.
She leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face. “I’d like to leave this place to someone who’s as passionate about the care of animals as I am.”
Oh, my God! Was she sicker than she’d let on?
“But that someone would need to have a diploma on the wall.” She laughed at herself. “My girls all have other interests.” She tapped her finger against her lips. “I want you to think about going back to school and getting that diploma. We can work out something with the money.”
My mouth dropped in astonishment, and the tears welled up in my eyes. It wasn’t the fact that she’d suggested that she wanted to leave the clinic to me, or the assistance she’d offered with the financing for school, but that she cared about me in that way. I was overcome with emotion and couldn’t speak, just sat staring at her in awe, as if she were my guardian angel.
“I can see I’ve caught you unaware, honey.” Elizabeth rose to her feet. “Think about what I’ve said. And I think I’ll go home as you suggested.” She grabbed her purse.
I rose to my feet, too, and somehow managed to pull myself together. “Don’t worry about anything here. We’ve got it covered.” I walked her to the back door. “Good luck tomorrow. I’ll see you Wednesday.”
I closed and locked the door behind her and took a deep breath. My eyes shifted to the clock. We still had one more appointment left, and that was half-an-hour away. Boarding cats was easier than boarding dogs because no one had to stay to let them out during the night. Cat cages were set up with everything they needed. I headed out front to see Stephanie and Megan hanging around the reception desk, laughing.
“You know, you girls might as well leave for the day. I can take care of the last patient.”
“You sure? I don’t mind staying. Why don’t you go home early for a change? I don’t mind—”
“Oh, my, God you’re such an ass kisser!” Megan exclaimed with a laugh, grabbing her purse from beneath the desk counter. “We’re young! We have lives!” Her eyes darted my way. “Not that you don’t have a life—”