Chapter 2 - Every Cup of Coffee
I did the full ten days properly. Every morning and evening, Bear got his medication hidden inside cheese because he'd spit the pill out otherwise. I walked both dogs four times a day, rain or shine: before work, after work, before dinner, and once more before bed.
My commute became absurd. I woke up earlier, drove forty minutes toward work, finished my shift, drove back, walked the dogs, fed them, cleaned up, then did it all again the next day. Nell refused to cross the kitchen floor at least twice a day, and Bear shed enough fur to build a second Bear. I vacuumed both couches twice during the week.
And every time I made coffee, I looked at Corey's laminated list. So I kept a running total exactly as he'd requested. One coffee: $0.60. A splash of milk: $0.30. Two slices of toast: $0.80.
I even timed my showers. On Wednesday I went eleven minutes. So I wrote down $1.50.
By Friday night the whole thing had started becoming funny. Corey kept sending pictures from Portugal — beaches, cocktails, Priya beside the pool. Under one photo he wrote, "Dogs behaving?"
I replied, "Perfectly."
He responded with a thumbs-up. No mention of the list. Barely even a thank-you.
They were due home Sunday around 4:30 p.m. On Saturday I cleaned the house properly, even better than I'd found it. I vacuumed the dog hair, changed the sheets, ran the dishwasher, wiped down the kitchen, and emptied the bins. On Sunday I took Bear and Nell on one final walk and fed them early so Corey wouldn't have to do it the moment he got home.
Then I arranged the kitchen island like I was preparing it for a hotel guest. Corey's laminated price list went back exactly where he'd left it, perfectly square with the edge of the counter, with the spare key on top.
Beside it, I placed an envelope with his name neatly printed on the front. Inside was something I'd spent two evenings preparing. I checked it once more before sealing it.
May you like
Then I let myself out at 3:00 p.m. and took the long way home so I wouldn't be there when their cab arrived.
At 4:52, my phone rang. Corey.
