Then

I wake up in bed. My throat feels tender. Maybe a sore throat. I sigh, turn on the mattress, see the empty pillow next to me.

That's right... Josh's hiking trip.

And where is Captain? Oh, shit. I think I left him outside all night. Poor thing.

I check my phone. It's six thirty in the morning. Aw, Josh sent a text an hour ago. Maybe he's trying to catch the sunrise before his breakfast with Andy.

Morning babe! Reception's spotty here so...love you.

I shoot him a kissy emoji and a quick Good morning and good luck!

It's nice to get a loving text, because last night wasn't so great between us, leading up to when he drove off angry. I still think he didn't tell me about the hiking trip before, no matter how insistent he was. But it's time to put that in context. After all, it's an innocent hiking trip, and didn't I want him to get away and clear his head? I imagine the hiking trip like a vigorous laundry woman, flapping white sheets in the yard. Maybe this will air him out. Bring some lightness back to his step. A girl has to keep hoping.

Setting my phone back down because the light from the screen is hurting my eyes, I collapse backward into the pillows. My head isn't feeling so great. There's a spot of pain at the back of my neck. I probe it and find a weird, lumpy spot.

"Ow," I say, frowning. Did I hurt myself somehow? In fact, last night seems pretty fuzzy—ah! The wine. I drank some, and Andy brought even more, and honestly, I'm a bit of a lightweight. I shouldn't drink on an empty stomach. Though...did Andy bring us McDonald's? I register the open computer at the foot of my bed. Netflix. I must have fallen asleep watching a show.

There's a cry from down the hall. Where did I leave the baby monitor? Huh. I head to Annaleigh's room, stretching out my stiff limbs, still carrying a feeling of slight unease.

"There you are," I murmur as I pick her up, pull up my sweatshirt. Annaleigh fits her mouth to me and I close my eyes, release a long sigh.

The unease drifts away.

This is the best feeling in the world.

Later, as I make up Annaleigh's breakfast and give Captain a huge bowl of food to make up for his lonely night in the doghouse, I notice Josh left his house keys on the counter. He can be forgetful. Probably nothing. Still, I look at them for a minute. The edge of something is in my mind, like a word on the tip of my tongue except it's an image instead, and the image is...red taillights. No. Angry eyes like taillights. Getting smaller not because they're driving away from me, but because I'm flying away from them...no, because they pushed me away...curving through the air... My headache intensifies as I scrape deeper. Wait a minute...

A knocking at the door interrupts my thoughts.

"Coming, coming," I mutter, leaving Annaleigh in her high chair banging her spoon and Captain wolfing down his food.

I look through the peephole.

Whoa.

Bobby-boy, Josh likes to call our taciturn neighbor jokingly. Why is Bob knocking at my door now? He ignored my banana bread and it's been silent spying ever since. The moment for friendly introductions is long gone.

"Morning," he says in a rough voice when I swing open the door.

"Hello, neighbor," I force myself to say brightly. He's in jeans and a tucked-in T-shirt that reads GUNS ARE MY RIGHT. Perversely, I wonder how he'd react if I sprang him with an honest question. Namely, What the fuck is your problem?

"Uh... I brought something." He extends a large container. It looks like vintage Tupperware.

"What's this?" I say with an interested smile.

"Dog food. Made it myself at my meat processing operation, from the unwanted bits. You have that dog. Captain, right?" He gives me the strangest smile. Not exactly friendly...but seeking connection.

"Yes, Captain," I say, reaching forward to take the container. The plastic is warm to the touch. "Thank you, that's so sweet. I'm Julia, by the way."

"Yeah," he says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The brief smile is gone. Now he squints at me, like it pains him to maintain eye contact. "I know your husband's gone. Are you...gonna be okay?"

"Oh, he's only gone until tonight!" I say, trying not to show my unease at Bob knowing I'm alone today. "Quick trip. Hey, maybe we can have you over sometime! Josh can grill some burgers. We can finally get to know each other!"

"Ah...yeah," Bob says, his eyes skittering over me, then behind me to the open door.

I can hear Annaleigh squawking in the back of the house. "Well... I should probably get the baby."

"I'm good with babies," he says, clearing his throat awkwardly. "If you ever need...help."

"That's sweet," I say. Yeah, no way in hell.

As I return to the kitchen calling to Annaleigh, "It's okay, baby, Mommy's back!" I open the container from Bob. The food is pinkish. It looks extremely fresh. Captain skids into the kitchen, like he can smell it, too. I lower the container for him to sniff and he goes wild.

"You like that?" I say. "You want some? Here, I'll put some in your dish."

I set Annaleigh up with a bowl of Cheerios, and even though I have so much to do—unloading the dishwasher, wiping up the mud Captain tracked in this morning, and on and on—for a minute, I just lean against the counter.

"Huh," I say as Captain scarfs his food and Annaleigh bangs on her high chair tray, making Cheerios jump everywhere. I never would have guessed Bob would knock on my door. Much less bring a present.

I smile to myself. You think you know someone, but isn't it nice that sometimes, there are surprises.