Kat's Fall by Shelley Hrdlitschka Read Free Book Online

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    A car sporting a Working Dogs Association bumper sticker is parked right outside our townhouse when we get home from baby-sitting on Thursday night. I spot it from half a block away. So does Kat. Her sharp eyes don’t miss a thing. She glances at me. “Do you think?” she asks, incredulously.
    I shake my head. “No, Kat,” I sign. “Don’t go there. Dad’s not going to change his mind now.” Especially now, seeing as he’s planning to get rid of her.
    But I guess she doesn’t believe me. She jogs up the stairs and into the house. I follow quietly behind, feeling slightly sick and wondering what Dad could possibly be scheming now.
    We find him sitting in the living room with the lady who—no doubt—owns the car. At her side is a golden retriever, its silky head cocked as it watches us enter. It doesn’t move, even though you can see by the ears that tilt forward and by the eager, coppercolored eyes that it wants to come over and give us a good sniffing.
    “Darcy, Kat,” says Dad, “this is Eileen Gilbert. She trains dogs to work with people who have…” he pauses, looking for the correct word, “physical challenges.” Dad smiles, proud of himself for remembering the term. I have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes. He’s such a big fat fake.
    “Hello, Kat. Darcy,” Eileen signs, to her credit. “This is Star, one of the dogs I’ve been training.”
    The dog watches her hands as if it, too, knows sign language. Eileen pats its head.
    “Why are you here?” I figure there’s no point beating about the bush. This is clearly not someone who would date Dad, and besides, Dad doesn’t bring his girlfriends home to meet the kids.
    “Your dad invited me, Darcy,” she answers, kindly.
    I turn to him. “Dad?”
    He at least has the sense to look a little embarrassed. “Your sister’s been whining about getting one of these dogs for months,” he says, then turns to Eileen. “She saw a special on TV about a dog who could predict when his epileptic owner was about to have a seizure. Supposedly this dog could then protect her from hurting herself.” He glances skeptically at Star, then back to Eileen. “Since then she hasn’t shut up about getting her own.” He tries to look fondly at Kat, then shakes his head, as if he always gives in to her whims. He must have forgotten that Kat can’t whine, she rarely talks and when she does, he doesn’t understand her anyway.
    Eileen must have missed those minor points too. She smiles and nods at Kat, her hand still on the dog’s head.
    “But, Dad,” I remind him, trying hard not to sound sarcastic. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m up for the challenge. “You always said, ‘No. No way. Not in my lifetime,’ or words to that effect.” I think I’ve done a pretty good imitation of his tone. Nasty is easy to imitate.
    Dad glances quickly at Eileen, but turns back to me. His eyes meet mine, and he gives me the look, the one telling me I’ve crossed the line. His words, though, say something quite different. “Everyone’s allowed to change their mind, now, aren’t they, Darcy?”
    I don’t answer. I don’t have to because Kat is changing the subject by signing to Eileen, asking if she can pat the dog. I can see from the look on her face that she’s past being simply hopeful. She’s smitten.
    Eileen tells Kat that she is welcome to pat the dog, so Kat kneels down, offers a hand to be sniffed and then, after stroking its head a few times, puts her arms around its neck in a big hug. The dog responds by licking her ears and neck. It’s really quite pathetic.
    “Star likes you,” Eileen signs. “Look at the way her tail is thumping.”
    Kat grins and continues stroking the dog. They are gazing at each other like reunited lovers.
    I have to leave the room. It’s too much.

    L ATER, WHEN I HEAR Eileen’s car starting up, I come out of my bedroom.
    “What the hell is your problem!” Dad bellows before I can say a thing.
    I tell Kat to go