Of all the dogs I groom on a regular basis, Sparkles is my favorite. Not just because her owner is a prominent figure in Marysville, but because I normally get very generous tips from said owner.
That, and because Sparkles is the cutest Pomeranian this side of the country.
Plus, it’s easy. Grooming Sparkles just consists of lightly trimming her hair until her face is a near-perfect circle and making sure no doggy droppings get stuck to the hair around her little butt.
I hear bells jingling, alerting me that somebody just entered my fine establishment.
“I’ll be with you in just a second,” I say, without looking up.
Someone replies, “Sure thing, Sommer. Take your time.”
The voice is familiar, but it’s also one I know I haven’t heard in quite a while. I look up quickly, shutting the mini shears a bit too close to Sparkle’s left ear, almost clipping it off entirely.
“Sorry, Sparkles,” I tell her, talking to her instead of losing my cool around Rhett. I don’t want him to see how happy I am to see him— it’s kind of pathetic.
“Oh, my God. Rhett. Have a seat, I’m nearly done,” I say, in a robotic tone.
Every part of me is aching to scream his name and run into his arms. I try to focus on Sparkles, but I can sense him looking at me. I manage to fix the hair around her ear so that it’s even with the one on the other side, but can’t stop wondering what Rhett is doing here.
When did he come back? Why didn’t he tell me he’d be coming back?
I should have heard about his arrival at least through the grapevine, since my granddad and his parents are still in touch. Even so, why didn’t he call me upon arrival? He should be more considerate.
I can’t tell if I’m excited, happy, angry, nervous, or what, but if I don’t control myself, I’m going to end up vomiting all over Sparkles.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him in person and it’s… it’s different than seeing him over Skype goofing around behind…
Kyle.
I look up again and see Rhett, half expecting to see Kyle next to him. For so long, I’ve been hoping they’d return from war, side by side like the dynamic duo they’ve always been. But Kyle came home first. His body, anyway.
Sparkles looks up at me and licks up the salty tears that fell from my cheeks onto her snout.
“Sorry again, Sparkles,” I whisper. “You’re almost done, girl.”
I wish I wasn’t so close to being done grooming her, though. As soon as I’m done with her, I’ll have no choice but to start talking to Rhett. And I can’t promise that I won’t break down in more tears.
Kyle’s ashes are sitting in an urn atop my fireplace at home. I know he’s dead. He’s been dead for nearly a year. But seeing Rhett here just makes it all the more real.
I used to see Kyle with Rhett more than I saw him with anyone else, even our parents. They were inseparable. But here Rhett sits, alone and looking like he’s missing an important part of him. I thought I had accepted Kyle’s passing, but… I guess it was easier to think I had when I didn’t have a living reminder of him around.
There’s nothing left for me to do with Sparkles now.
“She looks good,” Rhett comments, taking me fully by surprise once more. I didn’t even notice he had stood up and walked over to me.
“Yeah, she’s… ready for… whatever dogs do after they get all dolled up and groomed. Um. Hi.”
“Hi, Sommer. Think we could chat for a bit? Maybe grab some coffee?” he asks me.
“Yeah,” I answer. “Sparkles here was my last client of the day, so I could close up early. I just need to wait for her owner to come back and pick her up.”
Rhett nods approvingly and looks around the room. “So, a dog salon? That is… right up your alley.”
Having been made fun of for opening this place, I was preparing myself to hear Rhett talk down to me like everyone else seems to like to do. But Rhett’s never been one to discourage me. That was all Kyle. And even he did it as a goof. A big brother/ kid sister kind of thing that I used to hate, but now I miss.
“So, who does Sparkles belong to?” Rhett asks.
“The mayor’s wife,” I tell him.
“Oooh, fancy. Mayor’s wife’s dog. Say, who is the mayor now? Do I know him?”
I laugh. “I don’t know about the mayor, but you definitely know his wife.”
“Who is it?”
I point behind him and study his face as he watches Mildred step through the doors of the salon.
“Principal Romano,” Rhett exclaims.
Our former principal slowly turns to Rhett and studies him just as I was. She leans in and jumps back when she realizes who she’s standing in front of.
“If it isn’t Rhett, the little troublemaker. Back from afar, I see. It’s a pleasure to see you, Soldier.”
“It’s Sergeant now, actually.”
“How about that? Looks like being in the military did you some good. A bit of discipline was all you needed to straighten yourself out,” she jokes.
Rhett nods. “Yep. Not a troublemaker anymore. But I’m sure I can cause some trouble for old times’ sake, if you really want me to try.”
The two of them laugh until I split them up by leading a freshly pampered Sparkles up to Mildred. She gleefully picks up her puppy and hugs her tightly before hooking a leash to her collar. She sets Sparkles down and looks back at Rhett.
“When did you come back, Rhett? I haven’t seen you in town until now.”
“He just showed up out of the blue today,” I exclaim. “Didn’t even tell me he was coming back.”
“Or anyone else,” Rhett quickly adds. His brown eyes glance at me gently, as if to tell me he hadn’t been leaving me out of something pre-planned.
“I see. Will you be around for the Memorial Day picnic?” she asks him.
The picnic, held after the parade, is a Marysville tradition, and the mayor and his wife are very proud of how they’ve managed to keep it up. More people come now than in the past, and it’s actually a fun event for the elderly, middle aged, teenagers and kids alike.
It’s a part of small town life that I enjoy; not that there aren’t parts I don’t enjoy. Especially the part where everyone knows everyone and so everyone knows what happened to my brother and feels compelled to try to talk to me about it all the time.
Or, perhaps even worse, the part where the people who don’t want to talk about it keep their eyes averted from me or even cross the street to avoid me. I know that death is both an awkward and interesting subject, but I hate simultaneously feeling like the subject of town gossip and also the town pariah that should be avoided at all costs.
Rhett places his hands behind his back, rather shyly. He used to be super arrogant and pompous, so I’m seeing a new side of him. I can’t tell if I like it or hate it yet.
“Yep. I’m here for good,” he says. “I was honorably discharged after an injury that didn’t quite fully heal the way the military doctors were hoping, and I’m just going to take it easy for some time.”
“That’s perfect,” she exclaims. “I’ll tell Rodney all about your arrival. I’m sure he’d be happy to have you as a guest of honor at the parade and picnic. A multi-medaled soldier with roots in Marysville; he’ll eat that right up.”
“Guest of honor? I don’t know about that. I want to keep my presence on the down-low for the time being. I’ve only been here a day and I’ve already been hounded by people,” Rhett says. It sounds like he’s complaining more so than bragging.
“Nonsense! You’re a hero. You deserve to be celebrated. Besides, it’s Memorial Day; it’s all about celebrating our nation’s heroes. It wouldn’t make sense to not have you onstage for at least a short speech.”
“Wait, I’m doin’ a speech now? Principal Romano, I appreciate—”
“Mrs. Romano. I’m no longer a principal.”
Rhett chuckles. “Right. Well, I’d rather not... speak publicly. Or be the center of attention. I don’t want to be a Marysville celebrity. I just want to be me.”
“We’ll talk,” she presses, with a wink.
To keep her from prying any further, I clear my throat and point towards the cash register. Mildred goes from cold and negotiative to warm and peppy in just seconds. She pays me and slides a one hundred dollar bill into my hand.
It’s a bit more of a tip than usual, but Mildred must be feeling a bit generous after running into Rhett and trying to convince him to join her cause of making the Marysville Memorial Day parade and picnic even more memorable this year.
“I’ll keep in touch,” she says to both of us as she walks out of the salon.
“Yay,” Rhett says sarcastically under his breath as soon as the door closes behind her. The two of us watch Mildred step into her chauffeured SUV.
“The balls on that lady, huh? How is she not the mayor? She’s likeable and a cold-stone negotiator. Isn’t that perfect for politics?” Rhett asks.
“Please. As if this backwards town would ever elect a woman for anything,” I say. “So uh… You wanted to grab a coffee?”
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I promised her brother I would take good care of her.
But I'm afraid I've gotten myself in too deep.
Kyle and I grew up together in a small town.
His little sister Sommer used to be a pesky tag-along.
Then he and I served in the military, fighting overseas.
He didn't make it, and his last words were to take care of Sommer.
When I get back home, I find that his baby sis is all grown up.
She's traded her nerdy glasses in for some contact lenses.
And her bony teenage frame for womanly curves in all the right places.
My c*ck has no choice but to stand and salute.
I want to ravish her body. But I can't. Can I?
Then Sommer's grandfather gets sick.
So we invent a little white lie to cheer him up.
Sommer won't be alone, we tell him, because we're engaged.
The longer the charade goes on, the more I find myself believing it's real.
But we're not really getting married this Memorial Day. Are we?
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