I liked having his cell number. I’d already given him mine. I promised I would take care of Biz.

“Two little girls and a dog. When will you have time to work? Isn’t Out in the Cold due for another season sometime in the future?”

“You know about my podcast?”

“You’re not the only one who asked a few questions.” He smiled, just a little, and let himself out the front door.

Teo had been asking questions about me. Maybe he’d even listened to some of my episodes.

I was still smiling when I went upstairs; Bismarck was listening as the girls explained who slept where, whose drawers belonged to whom. I couldn’t blame my nieces. German shepherds are intelligent, almost noble. I was sure he understood the essence.

I paused in the doorway. “I can’t remember. Have you ever had a dog?”

“Mommy says they’re dirty and they smell.”

“Bismarck’s definitely not dirty, and he just smells like a dog. I think it’s a good smell.” I realized I was criticizing my sister. “But I can see how some people might not,” I added quickly.

“Why did the cop with the funny leg leave him here?” Holly seemed to think this was a perfectly normal question.

I was surprised she hadn’t commented on Teo’s prosthesis while he was here. “Teo left him here because I told him a dog would be a nice addition for a while.” I paused. “And you noticed his leg?”

“We’ve seen lots of legs like that. And arms.”

Their father was military. They’d probably seen plenty of returning soldiers and sailors with even worse injuries.

I made dinner suggestions, but could have offered fried skunk tails and they’d have agreed, just to get me out of the bedroom.

Dinner was chicken nuggets I made from scratch. I had to ban Bismarck when they tried to sneak him food.

After dinner they were still so wound up and excited I resorted to desperate measures. “Instead of a story, would you like to look at your mom’s scrapbooks?” Here or not, Wendy was still a powerful presence. I hoped the scrapbooks might encourage them to talk about their feelings.

Noelle was excited. “I would!”

Holly did the classic Holly-shrug.

I retrieved the photo scrapbook from Wendy’s bottom drawer and brought it into their bedroom, leaving the other for another time. “Whose bed?”

After they debated, we sat on Holly’s. Diplomat and gentleman that he was, Bismarck curled up at both their feet. Noelle plopped herself in my lap, maybe for a better view of the book, or maybe because photos of Wendy made her miss her mother more. Whichever it was, I snuggled her closer and even snuck a quick kiss on top of her little blond head.

I opened the book. “I bet you’ve seen this a bunch of times,” I said.

“No.” Holly didn’t elaborate.

I opened to the first page of my sister’s Kodachrome childhood, a studio portrait of a bald Wendy on her tummy, propped up to smile at the camera. “What a cute baby, huh?”