One of the dogs jumps at me and sniffs, probably picking up the scent of Avocado. I hardly take my eyes off Indigo. The two puppies play around my legs while I pet them and tell them how good they are. One of them is a Labrador and the other is a golden retriever. Just like Avocado.

I look up at Indigo and a soft smile forms on her lips. Olivia still looks shocked. I follow her gaze and notice the wall behind Indigo is painted black.

“Did something happen?” I ask, truly concerned.

Indigo shakes her head. I look at Olivia and she looks at me. We nod to each other and sit on either side of Indigo.

“You guys are acting weird,” she comments, looking from me to Livy.

“What happened?” Olivia demands.

Indigo shrugs. “Darla forced me to see things differently, and at first I refused to do it, but then I had a fight with Mom and ended up like this.” She throws her head back on the sofa and groans.

“I understand the black wall, you needed the change,” Livy says, “but what’s up with the dogs?”

I’m surprised she doesn’t ask about Indigo’s fight with her mom. That would be the first thing I’d ask. If that’s what triggered all this, we have to go to the source.

The puppies bark and nip at each other’s ears, running in circles and knocking some candles off the table. I chuckle, pat them as they race past, and replace the candles.

As I look back at Indigo, I notice she’s falling asleep. Her mouth is parted, each breath she takes sounds like a sigh.

“I’ll take her upstairs,” I whisper.

Livy nods. “I’ll clean up in here.”

I slowly wiggle one arm under Indigo’s knees, one under her shoulders, and lift her carefully. She murmurs something and I stop, giving her time to snuggle into me, which makes carrying her much easier.

She isn’t heavy. She must weigh about the same as Avocado. I carry him almost every night, and Indigo doesn’t feel much different.

When we get to the top of the stairs, I’m relieved to see her door already ajar. I push it open with my foot and step in. The floor is covered in clothes. A few sketches are scattered here and there. Because of the angle, I can’t see what the drawings are, but I’m intrigued.

I gently put her down on the king size bed and gaze at her face. Even this tired, she takes my breath away. I knew when I met her that Indigo was a beautiful woman.

After arranging her head on the pillow and covering her with a blanket, I sit on the edge of the bed and watch her for a couple of seconds.