Drew usually preferred to do things alone. Maybe he'd gotten used to it, over time. After all, he was an only child and... but the girls found him. They wanted to pet the dog. He pulled back the leach unsure what his big mutt would do.
"What's his name?" The older one asked.
"Jo-Jo and he's a she." Drew smiled. "I mean, I pretty much think she thinks she a male." He guessed this would not be the time to tell of Jo-Jo humping his leg. She did that if he was gone after long lapses.
"What kind of dog is she?" The older one asked another question while she touched Jo-Jo's nose. Drew sucked in a breath, hoping Jo-Jo wouldn't be bad. He told them he didn't actually know. Next thing he knew both girls were hugging that mutt as if she slept with them every night.
Drew smiled. He knew it had been ages since she'd been around kids. "I just got her not that long ago. A friend needed to give her away. They have a newborn." He told them. "Uh, they have a boy around your age." He nodded, glad that Jo-Jo remembered.
"What are you guys doing?" He looked to Ellie. "Oh, Happy Mother's day." He smiled, but then thought they should be out at the zoo or brunch or maybe even lunch. He mentioned he'd called his mother.
"How's she doing?" Ellie smiled back.
"Same." He nodded. "OK." He didn't see her often, but he called once a week. "Just thought we better get in a walk before it gets hot." He didn't want to be in the way.
"Oh, don't go." the girls chimed in who were still all over Jo-Jo and she was loving it. "Mom, can't he stay? We're going to have a picnic." Zoe informed him.
Drew nodded, still feeling he was intruding.
"I'm sure, we have enough, if Drew has the time." Ellie nodded as she went to unload the ladybug backpack. There was even a blanket.
"Oh, I got nothing going on." He smiled.
Soon enough the girls were on their own with the dog. He went to help Ellie. They talked about the neighborhood. He soon found out he lived across the alley, behind Ellie's house.
"I just don't get to my backyard much." He shrugged.
"We live in our backyard." She winced a laugh. "Got a tent up. A place to make mud pies."
"Um, you're probably busy at the University." She nodded.
He wasn't so certain of that. But it took a lot of time to write music and maybe he stayed inside too much, but not this summer.
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