“Hi, Casey. It’s good to see you. How are you?” He shakes my dad’s hand.
“I’m great.” My dad’s standard answer is mostly true. He’s struggling with some fatigue and sinus problems from his headaches, but otherwise his GCA is behaving. “This must be Sammy.” He bends down to pet her.
“She’s miserable in that bandanna,” I say.
“She is.” Finn unclasps her leash and takes the bandanna off from around her neck. Immediately her puppitude changes from gruff to friendly. “Sylvie assured me it was necessary until you saw it.”
I open my free hand, palm up. “Seen and forever put in my memory. How about I hide it away while I put these in water?”
“Hide, toss in the trash. Either is fine with me.” Finn and I share a smile like we’re conspirators working the K-9 beat and we’re dealing with a fashion emergency.
I listen to Finn and my dad talk baseball while I’m in the kitchen, the two of them falling into easy conversation. Obviously. I wonder if they’ve ever spoken off the field before today. Neither mentioned it, but then I haven’t been super talkative about Finn to my dad and vice versa. Hearing their cheery voices, I spend a few extra minutes checking the turkey cooking in the oven and stirring the potatoes on the stove to give Dad and Finn time to yammer on.
I’m glad Finn is here. It killed me to think of him without his family, eating alone somewhere or ordering in. He mentioned Sylvie stocking his fridge before she left this morning for time with her own family, and that’s okay for the rest of the week, but not today.
“Hey,” Finn says entering the kitchen. “Anything I can do to help?”
Putting the vase of sunflowers on the dining table, I shake my head. “We’ve got some time before we eat so I thought we could head to the park.”
“Great idea. You’ve got the jerseys?”
“I’ll go grab them and give Julie the heads-up we’re heading over there.”
Finn signs the jerseys, we leash Sammy, and say bye to my dad who’s elected to keep the couch warm. I slip a jacket on over my jersey dress. Today’s Vans are navy to match my outfit.
“Julie sounded a little off,” I say as we near the playground. “I hope everything is okay.”
“Me, too. Thanks for keeping in touch with her. I’ve been looking forward to seeing Josh and Jesse again.”
“Is it okay if I take pictures of the three of you with Sammy?”
“Absolutely.”
The second the boys see Finn their faces light up. Jesse does a flying jump off the swing and Josh drops his gloved hand to his side to signal to his dad (the resemblance is unmistakable) he’s done playing catch.
“Hi!” I wave hello.
Sammy tugs the leash toward Josh so we walk to him. He looks paler than he did last week and concern knots in my stomach.
“Hi, guys,” Finn says to the boys before putting his hand out to their dad. “Hey, I’m Finn. Nice to meet you.”
“Patrick,” the man says. “And you, too. The boys can’t stop talking about you and your dog. This is Sammy, I’m guessing?”
“See, Daddy?” Josh says. “Sammy really likes me.”
She does indeed, ignoring everyone else while she brushes up against Josh’s legs.
Julie joins us looking more tired than usual. The kids ask if they can play fetch with Sammy again and Finn nods. “I’ve got something for you first.” He hands each boy a jersey.
“Thank you!” Josh says, immediately placing his glove on the ground and sliding the jersey over his head.
“Thank you!” Jesse agrees, taking time to check out the shirt. “And it’s signed, too. No eating Jell-O when we wear these, Joshy.”
“Or anything that can stain,” Josh says. He hugs Sammy. “This is the best day ever.”
He and Jesse pose for a few pictures with Finn and Sammy then take off for the middle of the field to play fetch.
“Thank you so much,” Julie says.