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But he wasn’t by the fire, or under her desk. Thinking he’d gone to hunt for Cleo, she turned off her music.
And she heard the distinctive sounds of the ball bouncing downstairs and the dog scrambling after it.
“I guess Cleo’s taking a break, too. Maybe we’ll all take a walk.”
She started down as the ball came bouncing back with Yoda giving chase.
“Hey, Cleo, how about we play fetch outside, since we’ve timed our breaks?”
But Cleo didn’t stand in the long hall. No one did.
Yoda dropped the ball, turned his head one way, the other. Then he picked it up again, and raced to her.
“Cleo’s not taking a break to play fetch, is she? Sorry to interrupt the game.”
She picked up the ball and had Yoda racing in circles as she started down the hall.
In the kitchen, she found the cabinet doors open, and the box of dog treats on the island. Open.
“Did they give you some of these, or is this my cue to do that? I can’t be too freaked by a ghost who likes dogs. Just one,” she told Yoda. “Then we’ll go outside.”
When she dug in for one of the little squares, Yoda sat, eyesgleaming. Then he reared up on his stubby back legs and waved his front paws.
After a surprised laugh, she rewarded the dog.
“Did he teach you that? I’m guessing boy, young boy. I don’t know if you can go outside or not,” she said as she closed the cabinet doors, “but if you can, you’re welcome to join us.”
She grabbed the old jacket she left in the mudroom and went out into the brisk April air.
Warm and balmy might be weeks off, but she saw more patches of ground. She decided she’d survived her first winter in Maine.
To her delight, she spied a few crocuses popping purple on the side of the apartment. And as she walked, she saw a few brave stems of green pushing out of the ground.
Daffodils, maybe. She’d find out soon.
“It’ll be so pretty,” she told the dog, then threw the ball for him. “I’m ready to say goodbye to the drama of winter, and hello to the happy of spring.”
Wandering around the house, she hunted for other signs that spring was on the way while the tireless Yoda chased the ball.
She decided the wind off the sea didn’t feel as sharp as it had even a week ago as she walked to the stone wall.
“Oh, oh, look! I think it’s dolphins!” Thrilled, she watched one—no, two—no, three!—as they jumped and dived. Caught, she gathered up the dog, pointed. “See? Can you see them? I think they’re playing.”
Apparently more interested in her, he licked her chin.
“I’m going to put some chairs on the widow’s walk when it’s warm enough. Invest in a pair of good binoculars. Maybe I have them already somewhere in the house. Or a spyglass. I definitely want a spyglass.”
After setting the dog back down, she lifted her face, breathed in.
She heard something scream, whirled. The window on the third floor stood open, and something flew out.
The bird, black as midnight, long talons curled, screamed once more, and dived.
Instinct had her grabbing Yoda again, hunching over him. Her body braced for the bite of those talons as she ordered her legs to run.But when she risked a look up, she saw nothing but the blue of the sky and some gray-edged clouds that threatened rain.
As she caught her breath, a window in Cleo’s studio opened. “Did you hear that? What was that?”
“A bird,” Sonya called up. “I don’t know if it was real, but it’s gone now. We’re coming in.”
