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“Hey, Wain,” hea scratch under the collar Wain liked that and clih

Jesse let the old boy walk up his legs to curl his old crippled body into Jesse’s lap

Jesse stroked the velvet of Wain’s ears, the short fine hairs across his nose and down his graying muzzle

“I’m sorry, boy,” he whispered “You should be with Artie”

The dog licked his hand in quick absolution

The earth spun inordinately fast on its axis tonight, no doubt due to the solid shots to the head he’d taken Jesse dropped one foot to the floor to steady hi ball of rock up into the stars

“Sorry, Mitch,” he whispered “Sorry about not listening to you and for getting mad I’hed He’d made this very same speech so often he had it y A plea for forgiveness he’d never receive

Sorry, Artie

Sorry, Dave

Sorry, Mitch

He closed his eyes, feeling sick, and it wasn’t fro for uilt laced with so else Resentment Resentment that he continued to eat shit for his old friend That his whole life see Drinking Ga And he was sorry?

“I’m not sorry about Julia,” he said His eyes popped open

Wain scraainst the couch Jesse hissed as the old dog pressed against his ribs, but he didn’t push him off “You never deserved her, man Never”

And you do?

Jesse crossed his arht he wouldn’t answer his own question Tonight he was going to let the possibility linger Morning would coh and reality could strip all possibilities away then

But tonight he was going to pretend that he did deserve Julia That he still had it in him to create happiness for her

He i the ined her hands, warined their touch, their strokes and heat danced across his skin