Nick

Emilia is crouched down next to my hip hugging Coda. We just got back from a local conference for therapy pets and their owners. I learned a lot of new techniques I'm excited to work on with Coda before our next children's hospital visit. Since I'm lost in thought about them I don't catch Emilia's question the first time and have to ask her to repeat it. "What's that?"

Emilia laughs. "You look like you're a million miles away, Nick. Where'd you go?" She scratches Coda's side as he pants next to her. When she moves close to his stomach Coda flops on his back and gives her full access to his stomach. "Oh, you're a sweet little string bean, aren't you, Coda? You want your tummy rubbed? Hmmm? Ooh, does that feel good?" Coda leans up and licks Emilia for good measure sending her into a fit of giggles. "I wove you, too, Coda. Mwha, mwha, mwha." She says, kissing him on the snout three times quickly.

Laughing as Coda reaches up to lick Emilia all over the place, I'm reminded of the last girl who was here with Coda and I, giving him kisses. Shaking my head, and her memory away, I say to Emilia, "You're covered in his slobber now."

"Oh, who cares?" she sighs. "It's Coda. He's the best." And then turning back to Coda. "Aren't you, string bean?"

I raise my eyebrow at Emilia. "String bean, huh?"

Emilia looks up at me in surprise. "What? He's a greyhound. What do you want me to call him? He's skinny. String bean fits."

Rolling my eyes, I pull her to her feet and hand her a wipey. "Here, clean up."

Emilia laughs. "You carry wipies around in your pocket? Who does that?"

"I brought them with me to the therapy conference. You never know what can happen there. Always be prepared. That's my motto," I say, shrugging my shoulders sheepishly.

"Uh, huh," Emilia replies using the wipey to clean her face. "Whatever you say, my little germaphobe."

"I'm not a germaphobe," I reply indignant.

"Sure, you're not," she teases me. "Cause all guy carries wipies in their jackets. It's ok, Nick," Emilia smiles. "I like you just the way you are, wipies and all."

"You do, do you?" I reply with mischief in my eyes. "Good. 'Cause I like you, too, Emilia. You and your own strange ways." Leaning closer, I wrap my arms around her as Coda wraps his leash around our legs. I move in and nip her earlobe between my teeth moving across her jaw to plant a row of kisses on her."

"My strange ways?" Emilia laughs. "What are you talking about, my little doodlesack?"

"Doodlesack?! See! Where do you come up with this stuff, Emilia?" I laugh. "What the heck is a doodlesack?"

"It's an old English word for bagpipes," she replies, petting Coda as I untangle him. I shake my head and gently tug Coda's leash. "Come on boy, let's get moving before Emilia makes us buy a bumbershoot before we xertz."

"You remembered!" Emilia gushes, pointing at me in surprise victory.

"How could I forget?" I ask her. "Who uses words like bumbershoot and xertz? Only you, my little flibbertigibbet." I say, planting a kiss on her forehead. "My walking twisted dictionary of strange words."

"It's fun, though, right?" she inquires innocently. "I mean, don't you think? Who wants to use words like umbrella and eating quickly when you can say bumbershoot and xertz instead?"

I grin from the side of my mouth. "Sure. I get it," I comment approaching the curb across the street from the malt shop. "Now, come on, let's go a yonder, cattywampus and windershins. I know you love milkshakes and Coda here can use a pandiculation after sitting in the car for the last two hours. We'll get something to go and take a walk around the park."

"Sounds like fun, as long as the collywobbles don't get me like the last time I ate too much ice cream." Emilia takes my hand with a smile and runs with me to the store, Coda jogging next to us.