She told him she had a dental appointment. He had no reason to doubt it. She was gone for two hours. When she came back, she made tea without being asked, sat across from him, and asked about his day. He talked about work. She listened. Rex watched her from across the room with his usual focused attention, and at one point got up and pressed his nose briefly against the front of her coat before she’d even taken it off.
“He’s obsessed with you,” George said. “I know,” she said, and looked at the dog for a moment with an expression George couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t amusement, but something quieter. She hung up her coat and changed the subject, and George let her. That evening they watched television together on the sofa with Rex at their feet, and it felt almost like a normal day. He told himself things were probably fine. He was getting tired of telling himself that.