"How about we just take care of these things one step at a time," said Perry, his normal easygoing demeanor working his way back into his features as he led Lady and Coralie back across the street and up towards his house. "First we can get some of your rooming sitch figured out." He opened the door, waving the dog and girl both inside. "Then we can figure out something for lunch. And then we can put off everything else for a couple days, and think start thinking about schools."

The house smelled strongly of bleach and other cleaners -- it had accumulated plenty of dust and grime over the time he hadn't been around to take care of it, and many items in the fridge and on various kitchen shelves had ended up unpleasantly disposed of. What didn't smell like bleach, Pine Sol or the large metal garbage cans marked "trash," "recycle" and "compost" smelled like dust or dog.

But it was still something. And something was better than nothing.



[FIN]