Meet Lola.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT???? Cutter said.

This is Lola, your new little playmate, I said.

arf, said Lola.

Cutter stopped staring at Lola and turned his gaze on me. Whatever made you think I’d want to play with a rat? he said.

I sighed. It’s not a rat, it’s a puppy.

Cutter looked back down at Lola. It’s a rat, he said.

It’s a puppy.

Rat.

Puppy.

Rat.

Puppy.

Cutter paused and said, Ok, let’s suppose it is a puppy. Whatever made you think I’d want to play with a puppy?

Well, I, I mean we, Miss Carol and me, thought you might be lonely, I said.

Cutter looked over at Lola, watching her teethe on one of the metal barstools. He sat and cleared his throat.

So let me get this straight, he said. A year and a half after you take Tug somewhere and don’t bring him back, you figure I might be lonely so you bring me a rat to play with.

It’s a puppy, I said.

And, well, um, yeah, it does seem kinda silly when you put it that way, I said.

Indeed, Cutter said, as we watched Lola wrestle with the welcome mat, dragging it across the hallway floor.

grrr, said Lola.