Perry resumed his story.
And then, Pete and Katherine got married. The ceremony was nice, and Daphne was the only one who cried. She cried out of happiness, but also out of worry. Was this the beginning of the end?
But it wasn't the end. It was only the beginning, for Pete and Katherine and Daphne. Both Pete and Katherine cared about her very much. They had been heartbroken when they'd thought she might be dead.
She was worried that she could never replace them, that she could never find other people who understood her and loved her as they did, but she didn't look at it from their point of view.
He stroked Daphne's head, looking right at her.
"When they thought you were dead, I suggested that maybe they could get another dog someday. And they told me that there weren't any other dogs like you, that you're one of a kind. Which you are, and they know that."
He was leaning over her, trying to get up his nerve to kiss her. She closed her eyes and puckered up her lips, nudging him in the stomach with her elbow. Squeezing her waist, very gently, he kissed her on the lips.
She smiled and opened her eyes. "That's a pretty good story," she admitted. "I'm impressed. I've read your books, and I thought they were rather jejune. This was better."
He sighed. "Thanks, I guess."