Installment #33 Cyndi

      Cynthia sat very quietly as Tucker told her about the trips to the ER, the pain, the call to Margie.  She had known something was wrong, but no inkling of what it was.  She looked into Tucker’s eyes and saw the pain.  She stood up, stepped to his chair and put her arms around him.  She felt him tense as she laid her cheek on his head.   She held him a moment longer and he began to relax.  For just a moment, she was a woman comforting her man; but just for a moment.  She wiped her tears away and walked to the kitchen and began to pile dishes in the sink.

     “What happens now, Tucker?” Tucker joined her at the sink and began to run water over the mess. 

     “Well, Marge is taking care of it.  There will be tests, then she will come down and we will get results and then we will know what we are dealing with.”

     “Does she have any ideas?”

     “No.  Or if she does she did not tell me.  I want you to meet her when she comes.”  It was a matter of fact statement that almost stopped Cynthia’s heart.

     She knew how close Margie and Tucker were.  She knew that him wanting her to meet Margie was an act of faith on his part and even more important then meeting his brother, Anton or his biker friends.   Tucker was taking her into his inner circle and did not even know it.  Margie and David had been through a lot with Tucker.  Many years and many Christmas’s.  They had been together through thick and thin, business and social, drunk and sober, happy and sad.   Margie and David were family to Tucker. 

     She smiled at Tucker.  “I would love to meet them.  Thank you, Tucker.” 

     The conversation seemed to be over and they sat in silence.    

     Cleo looked in the window and Cynthia walked to the back door and let her inside.  She went immediately to Tucker and placed her chin on his knee.  He patted her head mindlessly.

     Cynthia picked up the leash and stood.  “I think I will take her for a walk down on the river.  Feel like going?”

     Tucker smiled sadly.  “Not really, but you go ahead.”  As the woman and the dog opened the door, Tucker turned back to the television.

     Cynthia and Cleo quickly reached the levee and out of sight of the house, she was overcome with grief.  She knew.  Deep inside, she knew.  Tucker was not a whiner.  If Tucker hurt it was bad.  Cleo nuzzled her hand and she dropped to her knees, cradling the dogs head in her arms and wept into her shiny black coat. 

     “Oh, Cleo!  What now?  How can we help your Tucker?  What in the world can we do?”  Cleo looked toward the river and Cynthia knew.  Take it one day at a time, one moment at a time, and if need be, one second at a time.  Just be there for Tucker.  And as she looked down into the dark eyes of the dog her heart broke.  Tucker had found Cleo in the “No Kill Shelter” 3 years earlier when he first moved to Pueblo. She was considered unadoptable.  What now?

     Cynthia suddenly laughed.  What was she thinking?  They did not have a diagnosis.  She already had Tucker on his way out and he had not even been to the doctor!  Where was her optimism that had sustained her for so long?  Where was her faith in God?  She looked at the sky.  Beautiful blue.  Pure white clouds.  A very gentle breeze and the greatest dog in the world on the other end of the leash.

     “Come on, Cleo!  I will race you to the river!”  With that they started down the embankment, and the dog that was unadoptable went very slowly before her making sure to not pull the leash and cause her to fall.  As they reached level ground they paused a moment to breathe the river smell.  This was probably as close as either of them would be to happiness for a long time.  They set off down the river on the concrete sidewalk at a brisk pace. 

     God was in his heaven and all was right with the world…at least for this little bit of time.