change his bandage in the mornin’. Be sure to check that there’s not any unusual discharge from thewound. If there is, call the office right away. He’ll probably be in some pain today and tomorrow ... youcan slip in an aspirin in some hamburger meat, and that oughta help. If he seems to be doing okay, call meat the end of the week just to let me know how he’s healing up. We can also set up an appointment to takeout the stitches.”
Their facades were back in place: professional and appropriately distant. “Thank you, doctor.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Dr. Jack lifted Mordecai down from the table and gently held his collar as hebobbled, three-legged, down the hall.
“Okay,” Dr. Jack said, as she sorted things out at the front desk, “Mordecai, you get a Milk-Bone.
Mimi, you get a lollipop, and you, Mrs. McGilly”— she banded a computer printout to Lily — “get thebill.”
Lily smiled. “Gee, thanks.”
Dr. Jack returned her grin. “My pleasure, Mrs. McGilly.”
As she wrote the check, Lily marveled at the direction her life was taking. She never thought she’dlive to hear a butch — or anyone — call her “Mrs.” anything.
After Lily finally agreed to let Mordecai in bed with her, he dropped off in a fitful sleep. Lyingawake while Mordecai snored beside her and Ben snored in the next room, Lily had her first moment ofenlightenment since Charlotte’s death.
She was thinking about the story Dr. Jack told, about going with her father on vet calls when shewas a little girl. There was a picture book in that story —a picture book about farm animals, so simplethat even very young children like Mimi could enjoy it. But the pictures of the farm animals could beframed by the story of the little girl and her father — and how the little girl wants to grow up to be a vet.
Lily had never written a book for such young children before, but she liked the idea of writingsomething for Mimi. It would be a lasting gift for her daughter — even if things in the courtroom didn’twork out.
She wanted to draw the animals in accurate detail, something along the lines of Garth Williams’
wonderful illustrations for Charlotte’s Web, but she hadn’t been to a farm since a field trip in first grade.
Lily wondered if Dr. Jack might agree to let her go along on a few farm calls, so she could sit back at asafe distance and sketch the animals. She would ask her on Friday, she decided, when she called aboutMordecai.
CHAPTER 11
“The hearing is set for August fifteenth,” Buzz Dobson told Lily and Ben as they sat in his dingy