Counting Paths

Chapter 19.

But on the bright side, Moose is trained. We get home, and I stop and order Moose to sit by the front door. She listens and Sterling waits with her.

"Can we put her things in my room?" She asks.

"Her bed, but her food and toys stay down here. You're responsible for feeding her every day and on time."

"Yes, sir!"

I would say cleaning after her too but I wouldn't doubt Moose's shit is bigger than Sterling.

Swallowing them to follow, I put Moose's bed in Sterling's room, then head back downstairs where I set up Moose's feeding bowls and find a place for her food. Sterling feeds her. I wash up and make us sandwiches.

Once we're all fed, Sterling and I settle on the couch, Moose is on the floor until we bathe her, and we watch Gravity Falls.

A few hours later...
We finish the show.

"Okay," I groan, rising to my feet. "Go take a shower. Dinner will be ready in about forty minutes."

"You're cooking?"

"Yeah. Rice and beans."

She pretends to puke. "Beans are gross. I think I'm the only Dominican and Puerto Rican that doesn't like beans."

"I can make something else."

"No, it's okay." She pushes off the couch and stands, and Moose jumps to all four feet. "I like to put the sauce on the rice. Give it more taste."

I smile. "You're a weird little kid."

"And you're a grown man with a child's temper."

"You can eat Moose's food then." She laughs. Then she and Moose hurry out of the living room. "Be careful!" I call after them.

I walk to the kitchen. I gather everything I need to start cooking when I hear the front door open and close. Moments later, Kevin is walking in.

"Hey."

"Hey..." His attention falls on Moose's bowls. He points. "What's that?"

"Sterling got a dog. A Great Dane named Moose for a good fucking reason too. Have you ever seen a Great Dane before? How fucking big they are?"

He stares at me. "You got a dog?"

"Sterling got a dog," I correct him. "And they're the same size-no, wait, Moose weighs more."

"We stayed back for one day and you get a dog...that's a pony?"

I nod. "You said she was growing on me, well, here's your fucking proof, happy now?"

He chuckles. "Kinda. So where's the princess and her horse?"

"I told Sterling to take a shower since we were out almost all damn day. Moose is probably eating the rug in the bathroom. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Nah, a few of us are at the warehouse."

"Want coffee?" I know how the warehouse can be and staying on high alert can save your life.

"Uh, yeah...thanks."

I lower the fire on the burner, then I move over and open a cabinet. I reach inside, grab a travel mug, and begin to pull it out when I knock over a glass. It falls out of the cabinet and, with my other hand, I try to grab it. But I completely miss it. The glass hits the countertop and shatters-or more like explodes.

"Fuck!" I shout at the sudden pain in my hand. I look down at it and see a large piece of glass sticking out of my purlicue.

"Boss, don't!" Kevin shouts, rushing to me. He knows me better than anyone. He knows how impulsive and stubborn I can be. But I've already pulled the piece of glass out of my hand by the time he reaches me, and now there's blood gushing out of the open wound. "Jesus, boss, you'll need stitches!" He snatches a nearby hand towel and begins wrapping my hand up.

"I'm good," I say through clenched teeth.

"There were just three inches of glass in your hand, you need stitches! And Smith isn't here, she fucking left after the thing with Russell. You'll have to go to the hospital."

"No-"

"I'm thinking of Sterling, are you? Because if she saw this-"

"Okay." I shut my eyes tightly. He's right. I can't allow Sterling to stress over something so little. I take a deep breath, then I open my eyes. "I can drive. Stay here with Sterling-"

"I want to go."

Kevin and I momentarily freeze at the sound of Sterling's voice, then we turn and look at where she and Moose are standing in the second doorway of the kitchen. I swallow. "Uh...Kevin...that's Moose."

She barks and takes off toward Kevin. He stiffens but remains in his spot. She aggressively sniffs his shoes, barks at him a few times until I snap at her, then returns to Sterling's side.

"I thought you were upstairs," I say.

"I was grabbing new clothes but then I saw a car pull into the driveway. I came downstairs and heard this..." she gestures to my hand. "Are you okay?" I notice she's desperately trying to keep her face hard, emotionless, but I can see the tiny twitch of her bottom lip. Then, proving my theory, she presses her lips into a thin line to suppress her chin from trembling.

"I'm fine," I tell her. "It doesn't even hurt. Let's just get in the car and go to the hospital already."

She nods. "Can Moose come?"

"They don't allow pe-"

"But we can't leave her here alone."

"I'll watch her," Kevin offers.

"Okay," I say. "Let's go then."

#   #   #

Sterling refused to look at my hand. I had to hold her hand and comfort her while the doctor stitched my hand back together. She sat on my lap for the whole eleven stitches, almost cried when she dared to sneak a peak.

"I thought you said you like cuts and bruises and blood," I said into her hair.

She hit my back. "I don't want to see you hurt!" Her voice was muffled because her face was pressed into my shoulder.

"It doesn't hurt, but you hitting my back..." I was joking with her but it only make her feel worse. She make a strangled choking noise and tried to move off my lap. I hugged her, holding her against my chest again, and I kissed her head. "I was just kidding. Thank you for coming." She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck.

I smiled.