Page 29 of September

“Yeah. This way, she can see you.”

Juliet looked down at the towel that was still covering her body.

“Oh. Um…” She stood, and the towel fell to the floor. “One second.”

Juliet grabbed at her sweats, leaving the underwear on the bed to add later, and slipped them on. The shirt went on next. Then, she lay back on the bed and tapped the screen.

“Okay.”

Gwen’s face appeared a second later, and she looked confused.

“What exactly were you doing there?”

“I just got out of the shower, so I was putting on my clothes.”

“Well, that explains the wet hair,” Gwen said.

“I just got here. Long day.”

“Want to see a puppy? It’ll make you feel better.”

“Yes, please,” she replied.

Gwen shifted the phone until it was aimed at Carly, who was still gnawing at her bone.

“Baby!”

Carly’s head lifted, and while she couldn’t understand at first that her mom was on the phone, she stood and left the bone on her bed, walking to Gwen and letting Gwen pet her.

“Mommy’s on the phone. Say hi,” Gwen encouraged.

Why did that sound so domestic to her? Like Gwen was her wife, at home with their dog, making sure Juliet and Carly got some time together while Juliet was on her work trip. She would have to unpack that one later.

Carly sniffed at the phone, which made her laugh, and she had really needed that laugh.

“She’s kind of licking my phone,” Gwen told her as she laughed as well. “I think that means she likes you.”

“I guess so. But now you have to clean your phone,” she replied with a laugh. “Thank you for this, Gwen. I really mean that.”

“Yeah, no problem. I was here anyway.”

“I meant for everything. And the camera thing? Thank you. I didn’t even think of that.”

“You’ve been a little busy with this new job,” Gwen said, turning the camera toward herself. “Carly’s going back to her bone now. Don’t take offense. It’s the good kind, so she’ll be working on that for hours.”

“I won’t,” Juliet said and settled into the bed a little.

“So, I should probably let you go, right?”

Gwen seemed to be asking, not telling, and Juliet wondered if she actually wanted to stay on the phone and keep talking, maybe not about Carly.

“Oh. Sure. If you have to go.”

“I don’t. I mean, I’m just going home. I’m done working for the day, but I can stay with her for a little while if you want me to make sure she’s okay for the night.”

“You’ve already done too much,” Juliet replied. “And I really can’t thank you enough.”

Gwen seemed to settle on Juliet’s sofa then and said, “Apparently, you’ll be thanking me with coffee that you’re going to ask me to treat well, so you’re giving me responsibilities with my gift.”