The woman cracks a smile. “Cool name. My name is Ree, and that”—she nods toward the big dog—“is Ajax.”

We watch as Baby scratches at an old blue blanket on top of the duffel bag, then curls up with a sigh.

“What about Baby?” I ask. “Who’ll take care of him?”

Ree doesn’t ask what I mean, like most adults would. She tosses her long dreadlocks back. “We’ll all look after him,” she says. “Jewel will come back for him when she gets out of the hospital.”

Gabby calls my name. She’s waving to me from the swings, motioning me to come back. Her mother looks like she’s wanting to leave.

“I’ve got to go,” I say, more to Baby than to Ree.

“I gotta go too,” Ree says. “Gotta fly my sign.”

She scratches Baby under the chin. “You stay,” she says. “I’ll be back soon.”

I stroke Baby’s head as I watch Ree stride across the park, her dreadlocks swinging back and forth across the pack on her back. Ajax trots along beside her, his tail held high, his hip bumping her leg. The farther away they get, the more they look like one being, one strange animal with four legs.

17

Baby Knows

Baby remembers this girl

from her soft smell of kindness

and her eyes that hug him and stroke him.

This girl makes Baby feel warm

even though he is cold at night now,

and alone.

Baby knows by the way the girl holds him close

and whispers in his ear

that this girl needs him.

Her hands that stroke his ears and scratch that

special place

under his chin

tremble just the tiniest bit

with worry.

He feels sorrow beating in her heart.

Baby knows humans carry too much.

He does not understand why humans need

so much.

There is food. There is shelter. There is play!

There is love.

Baby knows the job of a dog

is to teach their human

what is important.

The happiness

of a full belly.

The joy

of playing, leaping,

running with abandon

with friends.

The richness

of a delicious smell.

The comfort

of warm sun on your belly.

And the world complete

and whole

when there is

together.

Together.

18

They Eat First

Today is a week and one day we’ve been in this shelter and it’s wearing us all down. Dylan sucks his thumb all the time now. Mama’s about chewed her fingernails down to the quick, and Daddy looks like he’s shrinking inside of himself. He’s filling out job applications like crazy, but nobody’s hiring a boat mechanic here in the mountains.

The truth is, even though Daddy’s always been able to fix anything, I don’t know if he’s going to be able to fix this.