Every Word
eleven.
Thank god for that dog of yours. Really, if you didn’t have that dog, I don’t think I know where I’d be right now. How I would feel right now. I guess in a way, I could have second thoughts about that. But I did love you, I do love you.
We walked Kevin for the first time together. I loved how you couldn’t control a dog that was only forty, maybe sixty pounds. I took the leash for you and you gave me a childish glare. I smiled at it and continued to have perfect control over your dog.
“We should sit.” You said. We’d been wandering the park for at least an hour. You walked ahead of Kevin and me to the nearest bench.
“Sounds like a plan.” I said smiling tying Kevin to the bench. “It really is a nice day isn’t it?” I sat next to you and looked up at the clouds.
“Yeah, this was a really good idea.” I wasn’t sure if you were looking at me or the clouds. I sure hoped you were looking at the clouds.
I looked back at you, and you were staring at me. Kevin whined and I had the sudden urge to ask, “Kevin is a girl isn’t she?” I turned to look at Kevin, what a ridiculous question.
“I really hope so.” You answered sarcastically.
“How do you come up with the name Kevin for a dog? More or less, how do you get that name for a girl dog?” I sort of just realized how strange of name that was for a dog.
“What do you mean?” You were serious this time. “I think a dog can have a name like Kevin.” You looked at me confused.
“I guess you’re right. But isn’t Kevin… Kind of a boy’s name?” Why did I even bother to bring up the topic?
“What about Sam?” You asked. I wondered why you would ask. Your name is Sam. “Sam sounds like a boy’s name.”
“Well, I mean.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I felt like I was making a mountain of a mole hill, and really, I was. “Well, it’s a dog. You can’t really tell if it’s a boy or girl right off the bat, then having a multi-gender name…” I trailed off with the last word hoping she got my point, “And you, I can tell you’re a girl cause, well, you look like a girl.”
You stared at me very intently, like maybe you were scared of something, maybe you were mad at me. I was getting pretty worried, the last thing on earth I wanted to do was make you angry. Then you grabbed my hand and slowly began to speak, “Marcus...” You stopped, maybe to make sure I was really listening to you, “I am…” You took a deep breath while squeezing my hand, “A man.” You kept a straight face for maybe a second longer, and then busted out laughing. I could tell you really got a kick out of this.
I’d never seen you laugh like this before. I was getting a little worried, hoping you were breathing correctly. Then I realized, for a second time, I’d never heard you laugh like this before. And I loved it. It was the happiest sound I’d ever heard. Most girls you get to laugh uncontrollably are just really irritating, but you weren’t like other girls. And this, this made me laugh too. Then we sat there laughing for maybe the next couple minutes. When we finished people were staring at us as tears ran from our eyes.
“I’m sorry.” You said as you were still slightly laughing. “I’m a man with hormone disorders, which explains the loss of facial hair and my slim and slender body type.” You covered your mouth to hide the left over giggles, cleared your throat, and looked me in the eyes. “I think we should go home now.” You said smiling.
“Yes sir.” I said smiling with you, and walked you and Kevin home.
We walked Kevin for the first time together. I loved how you couldn’t control a dog that was only forty, maybe sixty pounds. I took the leash for you and you gave me a childish glare. I smiled at it and continued to have perfect control over your dog.
“We should sit.” You said. We’d been wandering the park for at least an hour. You walked ahead of Kevin and me to the nearest bench.
“Sounds like a plan.” I said smiling tying Kevin to the bench. “It really is a nice day isn’t it?” I sat next to you and looked up at the clouds.
“Yeah, this was a really good idea.” I wasn’t sure if you were looking at me or the clouds. I sure hoped you were looking at the clouds.
I looked back at you, and you were staring at me. Kevin whined and I had the sudden urge to ask, “Kevin is a girl isn’t she?” I turned to look at Kevin, what a ridiculous question.
“I really hope so.” You answered sarcastically.
“How do you come up with the name Kevin for a dog? More or less, how do you get that name for a girl dog?” I sort of just realized how strange of name that was for a dog.
“What do you mean?” You were serious this time. “I think a dog can have a name like Kevin.” You looked at me confused.
“I guess you’re right. But isn’t Kevin… Kind of a boy’s name?” Why did I even bother to bring up the topic?
“What about Sam?” You asked. I wondered why you would ask. Your name is Sam. “Sam sounds like a boy’s name.”
“Well, I mean.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I felt like I was making a mountain of a mole hill, and really, I was. “Well, it’s a dog. You can’t really tell if it’s a boy or girl right off the bat, then having a multi-gender name…” I trailed off with the last word hoping she got my point, “And you, I can tell you’re a girl cause, well, you look like a girl.”
You stared at me very intently, like maybe you were scared of something, maybe you were mad at me. I was getting pretty worried, the last thing on earth I wanted to do was make you angry. Then you grabbed my hand and slowly began to speak, “Marcus...” You stopped, maybe to make sure I was really listening to you, “I am…” You took a deep breath while squeezing my hand, “A man.” You kept a straight face for maybe a second longer, and then busted out laughing. I could tell you really got a kick out of this.
I’d never seen you laugh like this before. I was getting a little worried, hoping you were breathing correctly. Then I realized, for a second time, I’d never heard you laugh like this before. And I loved it. It was the happiest sound I’d ever heard. Most girls you get to laugh uncontrollably are just really irritating, but you weren’t like other girls. And this, this made me laugh too. Then we sat there laughing for maybe the next couple minutes. When we finished people were staring at us as tears ran from our eyes.
“I’m sorry.” You said as you were still slightly laughing. “I’m a man with hormone disorders, which explains the loss of facial hair and my slim and slender body type.” You covered your mouth to hide the left over giggles, cleared your throat, and looked me in the eyes. “I think we should go home now.” You said smiling.
“Yes sir.” I said smiling with you, and walked you and Kevin home.