That’s how she always thought of her childhood home.

She sighed. She was being melodramatic, but she didn’t look back on her childhood fondly. And she hadn’t been back to her home town except for the funerals for her parents. First, her father’s nearly two years ago and her mother just three months ago. She wasn’t entirely happy to be back now either, but she couldn’t – wouldn’t – let Melanie down.

Besides, what did she have left in New York?

The summer afternoon was alive with colors and sounds and scents. The fields were dotted with rolled bales of hay, the sky above was a vivid blue. The air was filled with the sound of birds singing and bugs chirping in the trees. A warm breeze lifted and played with a lock of dark hair that had escaped her pony tail.

Maggie hugged herself as she stood on the side of the road. She had grown up here, but it still surprised her how beautiful it was. She had missed it, she realized as she gazed around. Why had she ever left?

Her nostalgic moment was interrupted by a powerful sneeze. Followed closely by three more.

Ah yes, now she remembered she thought as she sniffled. Hay fever. It wasn’t the only reason she’d felt the need to escape but she didn’t want to think about the rest just now.

She turned to her car to look for a tissue and thought she heard a whimper. She hesitated and listened. There it was again.

She walked around the rear of her car. There was a small scruffy white dog crouched low in the long grass at the shoulder of the road. The dog watched her carefully, the cornflowers, pink thistles, and Queen Anne’s lace swaying as the dog began to wag its tail hopefully.

"Hey there," Maggie said, crouching down. She held out her hand, palm down. The dog scooted forward, its belly low, for a tentative sniff. "What are you doing out here? Are you lost?"

The dog must have decided that Maggie smelled okay because she was rewarded by an enthusiastic lick. The dog’s butt began to quiver.

Maggie scratched the dog’s ear and was immediately presented with a belly to scratch. She smiled and laughed. "You’re a friendly one, aren’t you?"

She sat back on her heels and thought about what to do. She couldn’t just leave the dog out here, it might get hit by a car. Better to bring it into town and see if she could find its owner.

The dog jumped up as she rose to her feet. Only then did she notice that it was holding one leg up close to its body, as if injured. Any doubt in her mind vanished. She couldn’t leave a lost and injured dog out alone on the highway.

She walked to the car and opened the passenger door. "Okay, sweetie, hop in. You’re coming home with me."

The dog scampered to the car and then paused at the open door. It looked up at Maggie and cocked its head. Maggie smiled, scooped it up and deposited it on the seat where it immediately made itself comfortable. Maggie swore she could see the dog smiling at her.

She shook her head as she sniffled again and shut the car door. She was such a soft touch.

                             ***

Maggie drove her car up the drive of her old home, gravel popping beneath her tires. Just as she was coming to a stop, the screen door on the side of the house flew open with a crash and her sister Melanie ran out to greet her.

"Maggie! It’s so good to see you!" Melanie said as she stopped near the car. She leaned over the door and gave Maggie a hug. "And you’re still driving this old thing too. I would have thought you would have gotten yourself something a little fancier – more professorial."

Maggie opened the door to her old silvery blue Volkswagen bug. "I’m not a professor yet."

Melanie smiled. "You have your PhD —close enough for me, Doc."

"A degree is pretty meaningless without a job," Maggie answered. "And anyway, I’m not getting rid of Betty. She’s classic. Hip even."

"Uh-huh," Melanie said, raising a brow. "Well, at least it’s a convertible. Hey, who have you got with you? I didn’t know you had a dog."

The dog hopped out of the car behind Maggie and began to sniff a nearby tree.

"I don’t. I found this guy on the side of the road on my way into town. I couldn’t just leave him there."

"Maggie to the rescue again," Melanie murmured.

Maggie laid a hand on Melanie’s shoulder. "How are you doing anyway, Mel?"

Melanie gave her a wobbly smile. "Well, let’s see, first my husband loses his job, then he panics and leaves when he finds out I’m pregnant. I’m just peachy. How ‘bout you?"

"Didn’t Adam have any job prospects?"

"He was pretty depressed about being laid off. His supervisor over at the GM plant said that it was probably just temporary, until production picked up again, but he didn’t stick around to find out."

Maggie squeezed Melanie’s shoulder. "It’ll be all right, it will be. I’m sure that Adam will come back soon. He’s probably just scared. Finding out that you were pregnant probably just freaked him out a little. You know, what with needing to support a family. He’ll be back."

Melanie shrugged and wiped at her eye. "Yeah, whatever. He was gone for more than a week before he finally called his mom to tell her not to worry. I was out of my mind and he says not to worry. And he hasn’t been in touch again. Can you believe it?"

"Doesn’t really sound like him," Maggie ventured.

"He didn’t even call me and I’m his wife," Melanie huffed. "But I’ve told you all this before. And I suppose things could be worse. At least I have a roof over my head, right? So, are you ready to get settled in?"

"I guess." Maggie looked up at the house she’d grown up in. "That was one decent thing mom did for you, leaving you the house."

"I have a surprise for you," Melanie said. She leaned over and grabbed Maggie’s bag from the back seat. "Follow me. What the heck is in here anyway?"

"Hey, give me that. You shouldn’t be carrying that," Maggie said, scrambling to catch Melanie as she strode up the drive to the back of the house.

"I’m pregnant, not an invalid," Melanie replied. "You can wait until I’m further along to pamper me." She smiled over her shoulder. "In fact, I’ll insist on it."

"Deal."

Maggie followed Melanie up the stairs to the apartment above the garage which had always been used as a storage room. "You don’t have to put me out here. I’ll behave, I promise."

Melanie didn’t reply. She merely opened the door and stepped aside to let Maggie enter first.

Any flippant remarks died on her lips as she looked around. The room had been transformed into a warm and cozy studio apartment. She stepped into a large room with hard wood floors and a dormer ceiling. A small basic kitchen was tucked into one end, complete with yellow gingham curtains, and a quilt covered brass daybed was arranged against the opposite wall. In between there was a comfortable looking armchair complete with a reading lamp across from a small TV set on a crate. A bouquet of wild flowers arranged in a mason jar on the kitchen table completed the homey picture.

Maggie looked around in wonder. "It’s perfect. Oh my god, I love it. How did you do all this? When?"

Melanie beamed with pleasure. "I’ve always wanted to fix this place up so I had already started on it when you said you were coming home. I had thought that me and Adam could stay out here until we got back on our feet, but…well, then mom died and suddenly we had the house to ourselves. I thought that you’d like a place of your own to get away. You always did. Are you sure it’s okay? I didn’t have the time to finish the other room – it’s still full of junk but we can work on that together so you can have a proper bedroom."

"It’s perfect. Thank you, Mel." Maggie grabbed her bag and hoisted it on to the chair. "I have a little surprise for you, too."

Melanie clapped her hands. "Oh goody! A present for me!"

Maggie handed her a shopping bag. "Sorry I didn’t have time to wrap it."

"That’s okay. Wow, this is heavy. What the heck did you get?" Melanie peeked inside. "Oh. Books. Thanks."

Maggie folded her arms and hugged herself. "Not just any books. Baby books. Books on how to take care of yourself now and the baby later."

Melanie glanced up at her.

"Well," Maggie faltered, "I figured that neither one of us has any experience with babies." She stepped forward when she saw Melanie’s eyes fill with tears.

"Hey, Mellie, what’s wrong? If you don’t like them, we can take them back and get something else. Little sleepers or a teddy bear or something. Don’t cry!"

Melanie dropped the bag of books and hugged Maggie hard. "It’s not that. It’s just — just so sweet!"

Maggie returned her hug and patted her back. "Don’t worry, Mel, we’ll get through this together."

Melanie stepped back and swiped at her eyes and laughed to see that Maggie’s eyes were wet too. "Don’t you go getting weepy on me. I can blame mine on hormones at least."

"I’m not crying," Maggie answered, wiping at her eyes. "It’s my damned hay fever. I haven’t been back two hours yet and I’m already sneezing."

Melanie smiled. "Welcome home, Maggie."

Before Maggie could reply, they heard the tick-tick of dog nails coming up the stairs. The white mutt went directly to the bed and hopped up. It looked over to where Maggie and Melanie stood and rested its head on its paws.

Melanie laughed. "You may not have a dog, but it looks like a dog has you."

Maggie put her hands on her hips. "Just what am I going to do with you anyway?"

"Why don’t you take it by the veterinary hospital in the morning? They might know who it belongs to," Melanie suggested. "People are always posting lost and found notices there."

Maggie nodded. "Good idea. Now, on to more important matters. Do you have anything to eat around here?"

                            ***

Maggie shuffled around her room in her bathrobe the next morning, going through the cupboards in the kitchen desperately looking for coffee. She nearly cried when she finally spotted the jar of instant tucked in the back behind a box of cereal. She snatched it with one hand and got a mug with the other. It wasn’t exactly gourmet but at this point any caffeine was good caffeine.

She closed her eyes as she swallowed the first tepid sip. It was weak and bitter but she imagined she could already feel her blood moving just a little faster.

She leaned against the counter and opened her eyes, spotting the dog across the room. He was sitting in her reading chair worrying his paw. He kept licking it over and over again.

He definitely needed to go to the vet.

Maggie looked at her watch. It was after eight. She could take a quick shower and take the dog over to the vet by nine. Maybe she’d beat the rush.

She’d stop at the grocery store for some decent coffee on the way home.

After her shower, Maggie pulled on a pair of faded jeans, a white t-shirt and dabbed a little gel in her damp curls. She made a face at her reflection. She looked like she’d been caught in a rainstorm with her dark hair hanging limply around her shoulders, but it would take too long to dry. She shrugged and grabbed her purse. She was just going to the vet, after all. She’d leave the top down in the car. Maybe that would help.

The town looked the same. That was all she could think as she drove toward the animal hospital. It was as if nothing had changed in the ten years she’d been gone. The traffic light she now waited on was still the only one in town.

Small town Ohio, the heart of it all. A far cry from New York where she’d spent the last six years.

The credit union still stood on the corner of Main and Chestnut. And most of the businesses were familiar ones: the bakery, the donut shop and the feed store. The hardware store had changed names at some point, but the window display looked the same as ever to Maggie’s unschooled eye. Nothing had anything changed at all, Maggie thought with wonder. Okay, the tattoo and piercing parlor was new.

It was sort of comforting to know that some things had moved with the times.

The parking lot in front of the animal hospital was so quiet that Maggie was afraid that she had not only beaten the rush but the veterinarian as well. She pulled up in front of the door and saw that they were indeed open.

"Okay, pooch, let’s go and see if we can find where you live." She didn’t have a leash so Maggie picked the dog up, not trusting him to follow her into the office. The last thing she wanted right now was a game of chase.

The waiting area was deserted and smelled of disinfectant. In the back she could hear the yelps and howls of the in-house patients. The dog in her arms started to tremble the moment they walked in the door.

Maggie patted him and wandered over to the bulletin board to see if anyone had posted a notice that fit his description.

"Can I help you?"

Maggie turned to see a young woman with a long pony tail and braces standing behind the counter. She looked like a fourteen year old wearing a lab coat.

"I hope so," Maggie answered, walking back toward the reception counter. "I found this little guy on the road yesterday and was hoping that maybe someone had posted a notice for a lost dog. I think he needs to be looked at too, his foot — paw — seems to be bothering him."

The girl reached out to pat the dog. "I haven’t seen any notices for a dog like this up anywhere. But you can see the doctor now if you like. Just wait in here."

Maggie followed her in to a small examination room off the waiting area. There was a stainless steel table in the middle of the room but Maggie continued to hold the dog. His trembling had increased when the receptionist closed the door behind them.

"Ssh, it’s okay," Maggie murmured as she scratched the dog’s ears. "Have a little doctor phobia, don’t you?"

To calm the dog and pass the time, Maggie walked around the room. There were posters of different breeds of dogs and cats behind the door — from what she could tell her new friend was a mutt. Tacked up on the paneling was a graphic depiction of what heart worms can do to a pet. Maggie passed that one quickly and glanced at the diploma that was displayed near the medical equipment cabinet: Arthur Samuel Callahan.

She didn’t immediately recognize the name, but something was tickling her at the back of her mind. Her own mother had never allowed them to have any pets, saying that they were too messy and too much trouble, so she had never had any dealings with the local veterinarian. She wasn’t able to match the name with a face.

Until he came through the door a moment later, that is.

"Good morning, I’m Dr. Callahan. So, what seems to be the problem this morning?"

Maggie stared in disbelief. It was Sam Callahan, the coolest, cutest, and most dangerous guy in twelfth grade. Only they weren’t in high school anymore.

His sandy hair was much the same and so was his smile. He still had the little chip in his front tooth that he got in a fight with Johnnie Hasselback behind the gym after school one day. But the boyish body she remembered had filled out over the years. Instead of lean and lanky, now he looked solid and toned. There were laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and his skin was golden from the sun. And even though he was standing right in front of her, Maggie couldn’t quite take in that he had traded his leather bomber jacket for a white lab coat.

Sam stood with his hand extended and arched a brow. "Cat got your tongue? Get it? A little vet humor."

Maggie swallowed and shifted the dog so she could accept his hand. "I’m sorry, I guess I was just daydreaming."

Sam reached over let the dog sniff his hand. "What’s wrong fella? A little under the weather?"

Maggie’s mind was still recovering from the shock of seeing Sam Callahan — the Sam Callahan — in such a surprising setting. She hadn’t thought of him in years and never dreamed that he would become a veterinarian. In fact, she’d never really considered what he might do with his life after high school. Maybe a mechanic — he’d taken shop hadn’t he? He was always tinkering with that motorcycle of his too.

At least he doesn’t remember me, she thought with relief. I haven’t exactly made a stellar impression with my mute act.

"Um, well, actually, he’s not my dog," Maggie said. "I found him yesterday on the side of the highway and I was hoping that maybe you would know who he belonged to. Also, he’s been licking his foot — sorry, his paw — a lot and was limping yesterday."

"Well," Sam said as he ruffled the dog’s fur, "he’s not one of our patients. I’ll take a look at his foot though and see what’s going on with that. And if you’d like, you can put up a ‘found’ flyer on the bulletin board in the waiting area. Maybe someone else will recognize him."

"Thank you, I’ll do that," Maggie replied.

"Okay, let’s take a look at that paw," Sam said. The dog instantly started to whine and struggle to get free. "Can you hold still him for me, please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Maggie said, uncertain just exactly how to restrain a dog for an exam. She ended up bent over, holding the dog against her body, pinning him to the exam table.

"Okay, you can let him up now, champ. You win," Sam said with a grin a moment later. He turned and walked over to a cabinet and began to rummage around. "He has some sort of puncture wound in his pad, that’s what has been bothering him. It doesn’t look too bad at the moment but I imagine it’s a bit sore. I’m going to clean it up and dress it for now. And just for good measure I’ll prescribe some antibiotics. He’ll be good as new in a few days."

"Great, good. Um, just how do you give dog medicine anyway?" Maggie asked with a worried frown.

"Very carefully." Sam laughed at her alarmed expression when he came back to the exam table. "It’s not hard at all. Here, let me show you." Sam dragged the dog across the stainless steel table, pried his mouth open and popped the pill in. "See, easy."

"For you maybe," Maggie replied. "You went to school for this — you work with animals every day. I’ve never even had a pet. I won’t able to do that."

"Ah," Sam said holding up an index finger. "That’s the beauty of tablets. You can hide the pill in a piece of hotdog. Just toss it to him and he’ll snap it up before he knows what’s happened."

"Really?" The dog was already back on Maggie’s side of the table, snuggling close to her body.

"Would I lie to you? And since you’re a Good Samaritan and all, this visit is on the house. Just make sure to give him all the tablets in this bottle and let me know if his paw continues to bother him."

"Thanks so much, I’ll do that," Maggie said, tucking the bottle into her purse. Her hair fell down over her face as she bent over and when she reached up to tuck it behind her ear, she found him staring at her.

"What?"

Sam shook his head. "Just now, the way you did that with your hair, you looked really familiar."

Maggie could feel herself flush. "I don’t think so."

Sam ignored her and continued to study her face. "Did you go to school around here? At Liberty? Or Maplewood? I’m sure I recognize you."

Put on the spot, Maggie found it impossible to lie. And what would be the point anyway? She’d be much more embarrassed than she was now if he found her out later.

"Well, actually I grew up here in town. I went to Liberty," Maggie answered. She cocked her head and waited to see if he would remember her. She half-hoped he wouldn’t —it wasn’t as if they ran in the same crowd.

"I’ve got it — Maggie Dean. Right? You’re Jack’s daughter. I was really sorry to hear about his death," Sam said.

Maggie was relieved and disappointed at the same time. He remembered her because of her parents, not because she’d made any sort of an impression on him personally. "Thanks. It was a shock to all of us. He was so young to have a heart attack."

"Your mom too. Had a car accident, didn’t she?"

"Yes, she did," Maggie answered.

They stood there for a moment, looking at each other when Maggie cleared her throat. "Well, I guess I better be going. Thanks for all you’ve done."

Sam held the door for her. "No problem. Call me if your friend there needs anything else."

Maggie waved as she scurried out the door to her car. The dog seemed as relieved as she was to be out of the building. She pulled out of the parking lot and drove home.

She had a bone to pick with Melanie.

                            ***

"Melanie! Where are you?" Maggie called as she stormed into the kitchen, letting the screen door slam behind her. Even the scent of freshly baked blueberry muffins didn’t soothe her temper.

"I’m here, hang on," Melanie answered as she came down the stairs. "Where were you? I made breakfast for us."

"I took the dog to the vet. By the way, did you know that Sam Callahan — Sam Callahan from high school — was the vet?" Maggie demanded.

Melanie didn’t bother to suppress a smile. "I did actually, yes."

Maggie gaped at her. "Then why didn’t you tell me, for god’s sake? You could have at least warned me."

"I thought it would be more fun this way," Melanie answered. When she saw Maggie’s scowl, she laughed. "Oh my god, you don’t still have a crush on him do you?"

Maggie stared. "What are you talking about? I never had a crush on Sam."

"Then what’s the problem?"

"I was just surprised to see him. So surprised that I couldn’t remember how to speak properly and made a fool of myself," she complained.

"Maggie at a loss for words, now there’s a first. You do still have a crush on him," Melanie said as she got down two coffee mugs from the cupboard.

"I do not! And why are you saying ‘still’? Who said I ever did?" Maggie asked as she paced.

"Oh, come on, Maggie. I read your diary. Why else were you writing ‘Mrs. Maggie Callahan’ over and over and over?"

Maggie felt like she’d been hit in the head with a brick for the second time that morning. "You read my diary? My private and personal diary? How could you?"

Melanie shrugged. "Isn’t that what little sisters are for?"

Maggie was so angry couldn’t speak. She left the kitchen and let the screen door slam behind her, stalking across the driveway back to her room over the garage.

Melanie followed her. "Come on, Maggie, it was years and years ago. Don’t be mad."

"It may have been years ago, but I only just found out that all of my private thoughts weren’t so private after all. So, did you have fun? Did you share them with all your friends?" Maggie fumed.

Melanie bit her lip. That told Maggie all she needed to know.

"Try to understand what it was like for me, Maggie. I was the little sister always two steps behind you. I just wanted to see what it was like to be grown up. I’m sorry if you feel like I invaded your privacy. I didn’t do it to hurt you."

Maggie harrumphed. "Well, I guess it’s no good denying I had a crush on Sam. But ‘had’ is the operative word. As in past tense."

Melanie held up her hands. "Okay, whatever you say. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about him. I never thought you would get so worked up about it. He’s still pretty hot, huh?"

Maggie only glared at her in reply.

Melanie moved toward the boxes that were still stacked up near the small bookshelf. "Hey, you didn’t unpack your books yet. Need some help?"

"What? Oh, no, thanks. I’ll do it later on sometime. I’m not really in the mood to read that stuff right now anyway."

Melanie sat down in the reading chair. "Okay, now I know something is wrong. You don’t want to work? What gives?"

Maggie sighed and sank down on her bed. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I guess I’m just burned out at the moment. I’ve been working so hard to finish up my degree and have been focused so long on writing and then defending my dissertation that I just don’t even want to think about any of that stuff for a little while."

"Are you saying that you don’t want to be a professor anymore?" Melanie asked incredulously. "It’s all you’ve been working for all these years."

"What do you care? You always thought what I was doing was boring anyway," Maggie replied.

"That’s not the point," Melanie answered. "I can’t deny I couldn’t see the appeal of studying all those long dead artists and all the dull and dry history that went along with it —"

"Thanks a lot."

"Let me finish. You obviously saw something in all that stuff that I didn’t. So why are you just tossing all that aside now? Do you want to just quit?"

"No, that’s not what I’m saying," Maggie answered. She fell back and lay on the bed. "At least I don’t think that’s what I’m saying. Hell, I’m tired. I don’t know what I want to do anymore. But what I do not want to do is read those books. Not now anyway."

"I have an idea."

"This ought to be good," Maggie muttered.

"Smart ass. I should just let you lie there and wallow," Melanie said, preparing to leave.

Maggie sat up. "Okay, I’m sorry. What’s your idea?"

"Why don’t you paint? You were so good at it, and it’s what got you interested in studying art in the first place. Why not get your hands dirty again? It might be just what you need to get over this rough spot."

Maggie smiled. "You know, you’re pretty smart for a bratty little sister. Thanks."

"Now that your problem is solved, it’s my turn. I need a favor," Melanie said, suddenly looking a little pensive.

"What is it?"

"I’ve been reading those books you brought me and I was hoping, that is, I wanted to ask you… if you’ll be my labor coach," Melanie said in a rush. "I won’t have to start birthing classes for a while yet, but you’re supposed to have a coach to help you practice your breathing exercises and to help you during delivery. So? Will you be my coach, Maggie?"

"But, but — what about Adam?" Maggie asked. "I’m not sure I —"

Melanie nodded. "I know how squeamish you are, but I really need you there, Maggie. As for Adam, at this point, I don’t know where he is, how can I count on him being back in time for the baby’s birth? What do you say? Will you do it?"

Maggie closed her eyes. She couldn’t stand the sight of blood or other… stuff. She even waxed her legs so she wouldn’t have to worry about nicking herself shaving. She didn’t know how she was ever going to get through childbirth herself. But she’d made Melanie a promise and she intended to keep it.

"Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll be your labor coach," Maggie agreed.

"Okay, great. Thank you," Melanie answered with a relieved smile. "Now let’s go eat, I’m starved. After breakfast, we’ll go to the library and get you a couple of big juicy romance novels. That should clear the cobwebs out," Melanie said, wiggling her eyebrows.