{"id":27766,"date":"2022-05-06T13:24:58","date_gmt":"2022-05-06T18:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/?p=27766"},"modified":"2022-05-06T13:24:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T18:24:58","slug":"forest-brook-chapter-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/2022\/05\/06\/forest-brook-chapter-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Forest Brook: Chapter 8"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Author\u2019s note: Yes, I am aware that I have deep-seated issues with the college system and I can\u2019t go two scenes without bringing up someone\u2019s education level. This is not a justification, but an observation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following month, after the elopement:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCaprice, what is this hundred dollar charge from Burke\u2019s?\u201d Dietrich asked, brow furrowed as he went through a stack of receipts to balance the checkbook.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat?\u201d Caprice asked, coming out of the kitchen with a cloud of smoke hovering behind her. \u201cBurke\u2019s? Oh, just a few things for my toilette.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dietrich frowned at the receipt. \u201cTwenty for hair conditioner? Thirty for moisturizing cream?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, that\u2019s what they cost,\u201d Caprice said, eyes wide and innocent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPerhaps, in the future,\u201d Dietrich said, weighing his words carefully, \u201cyou could try the drugstore brands.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I didn\u2019t think it would be a problem,\u201d Caprice said, eyes welling up with tears.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDarling, it\u2019s okay, we\u2019re learning,\u201d Dietrich hurriedly assured her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019re not mad?\u201d Caprice said, sniffling as he embraced her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo. But,\u201d he added, \u201cmaybe you could take me on your next shopping trip, so we can make sure we\u2019re on the same page.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019d love to go shopping with you,\u201d she said, looking up, all smiles again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And so, with time and experience, Caprice learned to differentiate between needs and wants, and to appreciate budget brands, and the couple\u2019s financial routine settled.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bored and wanting to avoid the temptations of the stores, Caprice one day found herself at a nearby animal shelter where she signed up on the spot to volunteer. And at Dietrich\u2019s urging, Caprice also requested information from New Pony University, and began working on her application.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">* * *<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWait here,\u201d Tassels, the harried-looking shelter manager, told Caprice on her first day. \u201cYou can put on these gloves and\u2026 oh, I have to go get this rabbit situation under control. When Snowdrop gets here, you\u2019ll shadow her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOkay,\u201d said Caprice, feeling awkward and in the way in the hall with all the activity around her and nothing to do. She stayed close to the wall, keeping an eye out for what she imagined a pony named Snowdrop would look like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A stallion appeared in the doorway across from where she was standing. \u201cYou!\u201d he barked, rather harshly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMe?\u201d Caprice squeaked, not certain at first that he was talking to her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, you!\u201d he snapped, struggling with a big beast of a dog, Caprice noted as she walked over. \u201cHold down the hind legs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Caprice sprung into action then, responding quickly to subsequent directions in the ensuing operation, for this was one of the staff veterinarians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The doctor sought her out later, approaching her with an abashed look. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I was a bit short earlier\u2026 I\u2019m Graham.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m Caprice. Sorry, I must have been a veritable bump on a log\u2026 it\u2019s my first day,\u201d she confessed with a sweet smile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBut it\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">my<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> first day,\u201d Graham responded with an answering grin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, we\u2019re first day buddies. We\u2019ll have to watch out for each other,\u201d Caprice bubbled over, completely free of artifice, an offering of pure friendship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And that was the moment Graham fell in love with Caprice Fairfax\u2026 only a moment before noticing the wedding band on her gloved foreleg.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">* * *<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One day, on her way home, Caprice stopped to assist an older mare who was struggling up the steps of the apartment building, and struck up a conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMost ponies would walk right by a decrepit old mare like me,\u201d the powder blue mare said conversationally. \u201cI\u2019m Patricia. You\u2019re new here, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, I got married and moved here last month,\u201d Caprice responded. \u201cMaybe you know my husband, Dietrich Fairfax?\u201d And how proud she was of those words!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAh, that reporter fellow,\u201d Patricia said knowingly. \u201cMy, you are a fresh-faced young thing, aren\u2019t you?\u201d She looked at Caprice piercingly, but the young bride didn\u2019t take offense. \u201cWell, I reckon he\u2019ll look after you,\u201d she concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, yes, he\u2019s taking very good care of me,\u201d Caprice agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTo be young and in love\u2026\u201d The mare sighed with a tinge of wistfulness. \u201cWell, I get my dose of romance from those novels in the checkout lanes. Where are you from, dear?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI grew up in Forest Brook,\u201d stated Caprice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh\u2026 that\u2019s on the north side, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Patricia asked, frowning in concentration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo, out west, in the Black Mountains,\u201d Caprice explained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, I see. That explains the accent,\u201d said Patricia, nodding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAccent?\u201d Caprice said, taken aback. She had never thought of being in possession of anything but the \u201cnormal\u201d accent, having had extensive elocution lessons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt&#8217;s lovely, don&#8217;t get me wrong,\u201d said Patricia quickly. \u201cBut there is a definite lilt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI never thought about it,\u201d Caprice said, feeling very countrified and some shame at standing out. \u201cYou may have heard of my family&#8217;s company, Monk Publishing,\u201d she put forward, aiming to redeem herself and give herself from \u00e9clat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPublishing?\u201d Patricia\u2019s attention was caught. \u201cYou don&#8217;t work with Maisie Matthews, do you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo, but we do have Lorna Skylark; she\u2019s our most popular romance author,\u201d said Caprice, easily slipping into discussion of her family\u2019s business, though she was not sure if she would ever be acknowledged by them again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLorna Skylark, eh? She\u2019s a bit more historical than my tastes run,\u201d Patricia considered. \u201cTells a good story, though.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe also represent Rose Meadowbrook and Teresa Bruyere,\u201d Caprice continued.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh!\u201d Patricia\u2019s eyes lit-up. \u201cI love Rose Meadowbrook. I don\u2019t suppose you could wrangle an autograph?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh\u2026 I\u2019m not sure,\u201d Caprice hedged. \u201cMy parents didn\u2019t approve of my marriage, and I\u2019m on the outs with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWell, that\u2019s a shame.\u201d Patricia clucked her tongue. \u201cWell, this is my stop,\u201d she announced at door 105. \u201cStop in any time. We\u2019ll sit down to tea,\u201d she invited, patting Caprice\u2019s hoof before parting ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDietrich, do I have an accent?\u201d Caprice asked her husband over dinner that evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes,\u201d Dietrich said without hesitation, helping himself to some mushy cauliflower.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d Caprice asked, pouting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s not that noticeable,\u201d Dietrich insisted. \u201cThere are just\u2026 certain words.\u201d His lips curled in a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019ve been laughing at me!\u201d she chastised him, irate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNever, dearest,\u201d Dietrich assured her. \u201cIt\u2019s truly charming. I had nearly forgotten how ponies talk back in Forest Brook.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou have to teach me to speak normally!\u201d Caprice declared.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy? It\u2019s not hurting anyone.\u201d Dietrich shrugged it off.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">* * *<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another month passed. Dietrich and Caprice sat down to another slightly scorched meal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Caprice shifted the food around on her plate with her fork, but didn\u2019t take any bites. \u201cThere is a foal on the way,\u201d she blurted out suddenly without preface.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCaprice!\u201d Dietrich exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. \u201cI knew you had something to tell me; you haven\u2019t been yourself this past week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh\u2026 I didn\u2019t want to pester you,\u201d Caprice said vaguely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you just tell me? You don\u2019t have to hide anything from me,\u201d Dietrich said, a bit perturbed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was afraid you\u2019d be disappointed,\u201d Caprice said in a small voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy would I be disappointed?\u201d Dietrich asked, looking taken aback.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI know you worry about finances,\u201d she said, fretfully mashing a potato. \u201cA foal will be another mouth to feed, and more expenses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDarling, you mustn\u2019t worry about a thing,\u201d Dietrich hurriedly assured her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cStill\u2026\u201d Caprice paused. \u201cI\u2019m going to drop college for now, and get a job instead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t want you to give up on your dreams,\u201d Dietrich protested. \u201cThere <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> finances to think about, but we can manage. If need be, I can get a second job\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAbsolutely not!\u201d Caprice said firmly. \u201cYou work too hard for me as it is. Let me do this for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">us<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d She came around the table and kissed him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t work, not in your condition,\u201d Dietrich insisted, holding her hoof. \u201cLet me take care of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m not a porcelain doll,\u201d she said with a piquant look. \u201cDon\u2019t coddle me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOf course I\u2019m going to coddle you,\u201d he said indignantly. \u201cAnd more,\u201d he added with a smouldering look.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDietrich!\u201d Caprice gasped as he stood and scooped her up in his forelegs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forgetting the leftovers sitting out, and heedless of the cats hovering about the table, he carried her off.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">* * *<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Caprice got her way, and shortly thereafter got an evening job as a cashier at a neighborhood grocery store. The minimum wage service job was a far cry from the society life she had been raised for, but she rose to the occasion. In addition, she had quickly made herself an indispensable member of the shelter team that could be relied on to pick up any shifts that needed filling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One weekend, Agatha and Hubert were in town, and the two couples met for dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMisty Hollow?\u201d Caprice queried, upon hearing of the Fershunds\u2019 move. \u201cWhat made you decide on living there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSome old entailed family land,\u201d Hubert explained. \u201cI always meant to spend more time there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd with the offer from the university, everything just came together,\u201d Agatha agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou know, the founders of Forest Brook came from the Misty Hollow region,\u201d Hubert continued. \u201cRumor has it the Krulotin intended to establish a new empire of Atlantis in a more central location on the continent, though it never quite took off the way they intended.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPerhaps the less said about those people, the better,\u201d said Dietrich crisply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou&#8217;ve continued in your resolve to not use magic?\u201d Agatha asked, glancing between the two.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, and it suits us very well,\u201d Caprice spoke-up. \u201cAgatha, how is your business?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019re very busy,\u201d Agatha stated. \u201cI just signed a contract with the Ponyland Veterinary Association.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGood for you!\u201d trilled Caprice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd what have you two been up to?\u201d Hubert asked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe paper is working Dietrich to the bone, piling all these extra assignments on him. I think they&#8217;re taking advantage,\u201d said Caprice, frowning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m on my way to a promotion,\u201d Dietrich reminded her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd you, Caprice, are you adapting to the big city life?\u201d Agatha inquired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Caprice, quite frankly, felt like the most unglamorous in the bunch. \u201cYes, it&#8217;s all very exciting,\u201d she said evasively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo you have a job?\u201d asked Agatha directly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Caprice was dwarfed by the table of older degree-holding career ponies&#8211;and her with a measly high school diploma and no marketable job skills. \u201cI&#8217;m a cashier at Foster\u2019s,\u201d she said, reddening and then staring down at her plate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps sensing her embarrassment, Dietrich stepped in to change the topic. \u201cDarling, shall we share our news?\u201d he said with a significant look.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh?\u201d Hubert and Agatha looked at them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe&#8217;re expecting,\u201d Caprice revealed, brightening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Congratulations ensued. \u201cYou two will be excellent parents,\u201d Agatha assured them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust think, someday our foals will play together!\u201d Caprice enthused.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMaybe if Agatha was ever home, we would have news in that quarter,\u201d Hubert sniped.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHubert!\u201d Agatha scowled.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWho\u2019s up for dessert?\u201d Caprice, sensing troubled waters, graciously turned the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">* * *<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the foal\u2019s due date approached, Dietrich tried to convince his wife to take things easy. \u201cI think you should limit your volunteer hours,\u201d he stated, frowning as she scurried around the apartment getting ready for her shift at the shelter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNonsense, the animals help me relax; it\u2019s not even work, really,\u201d Caprice assured him, checking the mirror and adjusting a hair ribbon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou need to take time to rest,\u201d Dietrich insisted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI have lots of energy,\u201d Caprice said, kissing him goodbye.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That afternoon, Dietrich met her at the shelter when she was coming off her shift, and found her walking out of the building at the side of another stallion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, Dietrich, you didn\u2019t have to come down here for me!\u201d Caprice said, starting in surprise at the sight of her husband.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s no problem,\u201d said Dietrich with reserve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh&#8230; this is Graham, one of the veterinarians,\u201d Caprice said, minding the formalities. \u201cGraham, this is my husband, Dietrich.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stallions shook hooves and exchanged niceties while eyeing each other warily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGood work today, Caprice,\u201d Graham said, shuffling his hooves. \u201cRemember to keep your pythons out of the kitchen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cRight,\u201d Caprice laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI didn\u2019t catch the joke,\u201d said Dietrich, a bit sullenly as they turned away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh&#8211;there was just a ball python that was surrendered to the shelter,\u201d Caprice recalled. \u201dTurned out it had swallowed kitchen tongs! Graham had to open the stomach. Fun times\u2026\u201d Her eyes danced with merriment, but then she noticed Dietrich\u2019s stormy expression. \u201cWell, maybe you had to have been there,\u201d she finished, composing herself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cApparently,\u201d said Dietrich dryly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The couple lapsed into silence as they made their way down the street.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019re not jealous of Graham, are you?\u201d Caprice finally broke the silence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI barely know him,\u201d Dietrich said irritably. \u201cHow could I be jealous?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI know you\u2019re bothered,\u201d Caprice said with a sidelong glance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt occurs to me,\u201d Dietrich said at length, \u201cthat with you working the night shift at the store, he might have more of your time than I do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, don\u2019t be like that!\u201d Caprice said, looking at him reproachfully as they approached the apartment door. \u201cYou know you\u2019re the only one for me,\u201d she added in a softer tone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI need you to remind me,\u201d he murmured, reaching out and pulling her against him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, I\u2019ll remind you,\u201d Caprice said silkily as they tripped over the threshold and shut the door.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">* * *<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graham got back to his efficiency apartment and flung himself down on the futon. There was a message from his mom on the answering machine. He&#8217;d have to respond, but in just that moment, he didn&#8217;t have the energy. The phone rang again. She was getting anxious; he\u2019d have to answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHi, honey! How are you doing?\u201d came his mother\u2019s cheery voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, hey, Mom,\u201d Graham said, forcing more enthusiasm than he felt. \u201cI&#8217;m good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHow&#8217;s work?\u201d she prodded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah, work&#8217;s good,\u201d he stated briefly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps embarrassed at what he perceived to be a poor return on the investment of his higher education, Graham was reluctant to go into details of his life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His mother, a nurse, had worked two jobs most of Graham\u2019s formative years, a willing sacrifice she had made to support them and pay future college costs. She had had dreams of med school herself, but it had proven to be cost prohibitive. Not wanting her only child to be limited by this, she scrimped and saved. And when Graham showed an early aptitude for animal care, bringing home injured birds and frogs and raccoons and the like, veterinary medicine seemed like a logical choice; and as far back as he could remember, this had been his dream.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now he had a mountain of student debt (even after his mother&#8217;s contributions) and a job that barely covered the bills. Sure, he was still in the early stages of his career, but making a comfortable living would have been a welcome reprieve from the grueling school years. Being able to live past the bare minimum was a long way off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bright spot in his life was Caprice. He lived for her sunny smiles and melodious laughter. She never snapped, no matter the provocation. She could charm any beast into submission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAny memorable patients?\u201d his mother prompted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe had a ball python today,\u201d Graham said absently. \u201cSwallowed a pair of kitchen tongs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh my! Is he okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, he&#8217;s fine. I just had to open him up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo you have a good crew helping you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCaprice was there; she&#8217;s great,\u201d Graham admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCaprice?\u201d his mother echoed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAh, one of the shelter volunteers,\u201d he said hurriedly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou&#8217;re sweet on her,\u201d she said knowingly with a mother\u2019s intuition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo, don&#8217;t get any ideas,\u201d Graham said warningly. \u201cShe&#8217;s married. She&#8217;s a good worker, that&#8217;s all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWell, I wish you would find someone,\u201d she said wistfully. \u201cIt&#8217;s not good to be alone all the time. You can take my word for it.\u201d She was thinking of Graham\u2019s father, he knew, deceased since Graham was three.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDoesn&#8217;t it seem like it would be easier not to care about someone?\u201d Graham said, feeling petulant in a fit of self-pity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYour father and I may not have had many years together,\u201d she stated patiently, \u201cbut you can&#8217;t deny my life is richer for it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, I know.\u201d Graham sighed. \u201cIt&#8217;s just, I don&#8217;t have the time for a relationship, even if&#8230; I&#8217;m fine. Don&#8217;t worry about me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou don&#8217;t understand parenting,\u201d she said with a merry laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author\u2019s note: Yes, I am aware that I have deep-seated issues with the college system and I can\u2019t go two scenes without bringing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27766"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27767,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27766\/revisions\/27767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}