and here I am

The soft twang of a banjo rang out over the dusk, filling the slowly dwindling light with the plucks of the strings, the notes seeming to dance on the air that filled the woods around them. It was a warm night, coming into summer but not too hot just yet; if you were in the right place at the right time a breeze might even make you shiver and remind you that winter and spring hadn’t yet fully receded into the past. The fireflies danced in and out of sight, lighting and then dimming as they flew here and there on their nightly business. It was picturesque, perfect. It was the kind of night that you dreamed about, really.

 

The golden sheltie sat on the old wooden boards of the porch, her legs drawn up beneath her and her skirt demurely tucked over the length of them, her fluffy tail curled around her side as she looked up at the Otterhound that was with her. Addison was sitting in an old rocking chair, although she had leaned forward in it at this point in time, leaning forward over the edge of it as she picked at the strings of the banjo. The music ceased after a moment and a small frown came over the scruffy face as Addison's attention turned more towards the banjo. “Dang this thing doesn’t like if it gets the tiniest bit humid,” she commented to no one in particular, shifting the banjo up in her lap to start to fiddle with it, tuning it and plucking at the strings again and again until she was satisfied with the sounds that they made for the moment. “There we go,” she nodded to herself and then flashed a quick grin over at Dimple.

 

The two of them had formed something of an odd couple friendship over the months since Dimple had come out to talk to her about a business proposition, although Dimple would say there wasn’t anything that odd about it at all. They both enjoyed the company of the other, after all, and there was something very relaxing about being around the Otterhound.  Maybe it was the simple life that she lived, out here in the woods with the sound of the river running by the little house, with the fireflies dancing in the light, with the bright lights and the noise of the city far off in the distance as if they were nothing more than a dream. It was why she had decided to come out here this evening, really. Life had been rather hectic of late with the bakery and it was becoming quite evident that Dimple alone couldn’t handle the requirements of running both the bakery and the business on her own. The search for help, while trying to balance baking and budgeting and cleaning, had become the most stressful few weeks of her life.

 

Dimple had needed an escape, a get away, and here it was. So she had baked a nice spread of treats and a gathered together a light meal that would make very basic sandwiches and brought a picnic blanket along for the ride. Not that they had had a picnic, really. The blanket had been spread on the old wooden porch between them, Addison leaning down to scoop food up as Dimple sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the porch, swinging them back and forth as she nibbled on one of her favorite cookies. It had been a nice, quiet, relaxing meal between two friends and it had taken a weight off of her shoulders.

 

“You sure you didn’t make any more of those cheese treats?” Addison’s voice brought her out of the moment and Dimple brought a paw up to titter behind it lightly as she glanced up again at her friend. There were crumbs of said cheese treat stuck in her friend’s fur around her mouth, an obvious testament to how much she enjoyed those in particular. At the giggles, Addison brought her own paws up to brush at the wiry fur around her muzzle. “What? What?” she asked the question in a way that said she knew just exactly what it was that Dimple was giggling about. Crumbs sprinkled down on top of her pants and she brushed them away with a quick sweep of a paw.

 

“I’ll make you more soon,” the sheltie commented, neatly sidestepping the question of “what” for the moment. They both knew quite well what she had been laughing at after all.

 

“Well, something to look forward to!” The Otterhound said with a flash of a grin. She leaned back in her rocking chair this time, the soft creak of it adding to the sound of the stream that ran close by Addison’s property and the sound of the cicadas and frogs as they slowly began to amp up for their nightly concerts. Dimple turned her attention out to the darkening forest, watching as the dimming light made the shadows longer, made it harder to see in the distance until it was hard to make much out except for the fireflies that still flickered in and out of sight. There was only really the soft glow from one of the dim porch lights to give them anything to see by, but that made it feel like something magical, honestly.

 

In an idle action, she stroked the fur of her tail, staring out over the calming, scenic view. They were content in the silence for several long moments before it was broken by Addison, the rocking chair squeaking a bit louder as she leaned forward again. “So, what’s got you practically flyin’ out here, huh?”

 

“Oh!” The golden sheltie startled at the words, brought out of her thoughts again. She felt herself fidgeting at the question, her paws nervously brushing at her skirt, her tail, at the red and white checkered picnic blanket that she had brought along with her. Dimple liked things to be simple and easy, to not rock the boat too much or bring the mood down. She didn't want to make things uncomfortable or awkward. “Was it that obvious?”

 

“Well, there were some tells,” there was a gentle smile on Addison’s face - the kind of smile that invited you to do the same. Dimple smiled in return and Addison’s smile grew wider at that. “There we go. Why don't you start at the beginning?”

 

Dimple blew out a quick huff of a breath, stalling for just a few seconds more before she gave into the inevitable fact that she was going to have to talk. Addison wouldn't give up, she knew. “I love my bakery and my work.”

 

“Sounds an awful lot like there's a ‘but’ coming up.”

 

“But,” she said, emphasizing the word with a small curve of a smile on her muzzle. “Somebody is providing me with the best fish there is and that's really been a wonderful thing for business. All of the things I bake have practically been flying off the shelves and out of the bake case.”

 

“But-”

 

“But - I'm only one dog. Things are growing too big too fast. Sometimes I just want to have a tea party with my friends, take a night off to really brush out my fur or try a new recipe. It's been stressful.” The words all tumbled out of her mouth, each faster than the last, as she practically fought to spill them all out in the open in a record amount of time. She was almost ashamed of herself and yet at the same time it had felt good.

 

“Well,” Addison said slowly as if she were feeling her way around the words and the problems laid out before her. “Sounds like you need to hire a bit of help.” The Otterhound brought her paw up to lightly scratch at the fur of her chin in idle contemplation.

 

“I've been trying, but that's been stressful too,” she sighed a little, ears folding down against her head as she momentarily allowed the stress to overwhelm her. No, that wasn't like her at all. She shook her head so hard that her ears flapped a little. She just had to be patient and determined and dedicated - which she was - and she would get through this. "I know it'll be okay though."

 

"Of course it will. You're you, aren't ya?" Addison asked her with a smile. The simple statement filled Dimple with both happiness and determination. They were right, after all.

 

The sheltie smiled again at her friend. "And coming out here certainly helped."

 

"Well, you know you're welcome any time." Addison leaned back in the rocking chair again, her paws pushing her back and forth on it, the soft squeaks and creaks of the rocking chair and the wood beneath them settling into a steady, lulling rhythm. The soft plucks of the banjo came back into the conversation as Addison fiddled with it some more, stopping every few seconds to tune it more towards her liking while Dimple just watched her friend, glad that she had made the journey out here what felt like years and years ago - in reality, only a few months - to ask for her help in improving her bakery. "You know, I got an idea," the brown dog said over the sounds of her starting to strum out a little tune on the banjo.

 

Dimple blinked at that, focusing her blue eyes a bit more on the Otterhound. Addison was still leaned back in her chair, comfortable and content, but there was a contemplative look in her brown eyes as she played some tune that Dimple had never heard before on the banjo. "Yes?" she finally questioned as the pause after the statement had begun to stretch into somewhat uncomfortable territory.

 

"Well," the other dog began slowly. "I guess I could come help you out a bit? Temporarily." The other female shot her a look that said she most definitely meant that. Addison wasn't one to be tied down by a normal life, after all. She preferred living back here by herself, fishing and playing the banjo and keeping herself busy rather than going into the city and living a more hectic and mundane existence. It was a wonder that she had even agreed to Dimple's proposal in the first place. "I don't know much about runnin' a bakery or anything but my paws are willing enough. How hard can it be?"

 

"It depends on what you're doing," the sheltie responded, teasing lightly even as a large smile. "There's coming up with new and exciting recipes, testing them to make sure they work-"

 

"I can definitely do that!" Addison interrupted with a quick wink.

 

Dimple giggled for a moment before she resumed her speech. "Baking them, keeping the bakery clean, serving the customers - all sorts of things that add up!"

 

"Well, until you hire someone I'll help you out a bit. How's that sound?" Addison asked. "Put me in, coach."

 

Without really thinking about it, Dimple pushed herself up from where she had been sitting this whole time on the edge of the porch. She covered the short distance between the edge of the porch and where Addison's rocking chair was and practically threw herself onto the other dog. She wrapped her arms around Addison's body, feeling the warmth - and the surprise - coming from it. Dimple squeezed tight. "Thank you! Oh, that doesn't even sound like enough when I say that! I'll make you so many cheese biscuits!"

 

That got a laugh out of the other dog and Addison shifted one arm up to hug Dimple, the other moving to spare the banjo from anymore weight pressing down on top of it. "It's just for a little bit. Don't mention it, Dimple."

 

Despite the words, Dimple squeezed the other dog tightly again, feeling a sudden burden lifted off of her shoulders. It was nice to have friends, especially unexpected ones. Wouldn't the regulars that came into her shop be surprised when there was laid back Addison at the counter, watching them with a slow and amused smile? Wouldn't Elwood and Cupcake be surprised to hear about the mishaps that were bound to happen in the kitchen? Honestly, Dimple couldn't wait.