So when Alice pulled on her yoga pants and tied her soft white shoes to her feet, Mack got excited. Those were practice clothes. When Justine wore those clothes, they’d head to the high school gym and meet up with Saundra and her pack. Juicy was always there, and Sambucca, the blue-eyed husky Mack has always had a crush on. And sometimes Griff, who was a slow learner but tried hard.

If Alice hadn’t put on her go-to-dance clothes, Mack would have settled for another day of waiting. But she had and now he was excited. He even barked. One short piercing bark, just to let her know that he was pleased to be going back to work. Maybe Justine would be there.

But then Alice hadn’t taken him where she was going. And when she came back, she smelled of sweat but not of other dogs. Not of Justine.

Go-for-a-ride is good. And walks are good. The kibble is different but good. The couch is okay, a little firmer than the soft cushions on the couch Mack uses at home with Justine. When Alice leaves the house or goes upstairs, he settles down on the right-hand cushion, balling himself up tight, nose tucked beneath tail. It’s his default position, the one from which he takes the most comfort. Once asleep, he will unfurl like a flower, stretching to take up half the couch. But to start, he likes making himself small and compact, pretending he’s a wolf on the tundra. At first, Alice made him get off the couch, but now she understands that snuggling on the couch is a good thing. Mack has taught her that it is nice to let him rest his head on her legs and stroke him. She’s learned already about the nice soothing spot in his ear. They still haven’t learned his name and he’s not sure how to teach that to them.

Ed has learned about the ball. That’s a good thing, especially since he throws it a lot farther than Justine does, so the game is much more challenging. Mack likes the long slope of the backyard and the way he has to dig in his feet to prevent himself from crashing into the bushes. Snapping up the ball, he runs pell-mell to the top of the hill, where Ed waits, slapping his knees to encourage speed. He’s good with the squeaky toy, too. Knows the same game of keep away that Justine plays.