Chapter Two

Margaret had been working a few weeks with Dr. Cooper, when a woman came in with two puppies. "I can't handle them. I didn't mean for my dog to get pregnant and I can't deal with these two mutts. They are destroying everything in my house!" the distraught woman said this as she held out two brown puppies. Dr Cooper smiled, not taking the dogs. "Mrs. Lupkin, I've told you before, you really should get Buttercup spayed. Or keep her on a leash when you go to the park."

This Mrs. Lupkin didn't seem happy with his response. "I don't go to the park to have my dog on a leash. Buttercup spends her entire life trapped in our pent house-" "I also told you dogs aren't happy cooped up. Why don't you let her live on you estate in the country?" Mrs. Lupkin glowered at him, "Buttercup likes to be with me." Dr. Cooper nodded, "I'm sure she does, but is being with you the right thing for her. Think about it Mrs. Lupkin."

Margaret was shocked how Dr. Cooper handled this woman. Margaret had been in a war, but this woman in front of her was absolutely intimidating. "Well, Doctor Cooper, I will not be dealing with these dogs. And don't except to see Buttercup anymore. We'll find another veterinary for her. Good day." With that she dropped the puppies on the front desk and walked out. Margaret quickly grabbed the dogs, before they could fall off the counter.

Dr. Cooper sighed, "I'm not surprised." Margaret looked at him, "What do you mean?" "I mean, when she walked in she planned to leave those dogs. It didn't matter what I said to her, she would have left them anyways." Margaret understood, "Well, at least she'll go to another vet." Dr. Copper sighed, "Oh, Margaret, how naïve you are," he smiled. "Mrs. Lupkin has been threatening that for years. I'm just sorry for the dogs." Margaret looked at the puppies, "I don't think their old enough to be away from their mother. They seem so small. And sad." Dr. Cooper nodded, "I feel sorry for them, but more sorry for their mother. She probably enjoyed their company."

Margaret took the puppies and set up a cage for them in the back of the building. She put in a basket with a few worn out blankets, and some water. She was about to leave them when Dr. Cooper poked his head in. "Margaret, they aren't as young as you might think. At least eight weeks. Mrs. Lupkin may not have wanted them, but she isn't completely heartless. Go ahead and give them some dog food. And mix in some vitamins as well, I think they could use some calcium, too." He added the last sentence as an after thought.

When she finished she grabbed her coat and purse. She walked over to his office. "Dr. Cooper. I've finished. That was all for today, right, just that one surgery this morning?" Dr. Cooper set down the medical book he'd been reading. His reading glasses enlarged his eyes so they looked like two huge blue discs. "Ah, yes, thank you Margaret. Here's your pay." He turned to his desk and opened the door. He then took a key from his pocket and unlocked the money box and pulled out a few bills. "Here, Margaret," he said passing her the bills across the table. Margaret reached out and took the money, "Dr. Cooper, that's much to much. The surgery only cost forty dollars. I can't -" Dr. Cooper smiled. "Margaret, I want you to take that much. I enjoy working with you. You remind me of my daughter, Louise. She loved to help the animals. You have the same look in your eyes as she did, as you helped me with the cat. And when you held those puppies. Please, take the money."

Margaret held the money, but didn't pocket it. "Dr. Cooper, I didn't know you had a daughter. You never talked about her before. Or your wife for that matter. Please, tell me about them." She sat down in the chair across from him, the money in her hand. Dr. Cooper took off his glasses and held the brim of his nose, where his glasses had pressed and left their mark. "Louise was my pride and joy. She wanted to take care of animals, just like her daddy did." "She wanted to, did, did something happen to her?" Margaret asked.

Dr cooper smiled sadly, "She died-" "Oh, I'm so sorry, Dr. Cooper." Dr. Cooper closed his eyes, as if trying to remember, and then he opened his eyes, "I haven't talked about this in years. Do you mind, Margaret, I think it would be good for me."

Dr. Cooper let out a sigh, it sounded as he were opening up a part of his life he had left on the back shelf of his mind for years. Perhaps that sigh meant he was dusting off this particular memory.

"Louise was a special child. Always the apple of my eye. She was the center of everyone's attention. Mine, my wife's, our son-" At the mention of his son, Dr. Cooper's voice cracked, "Our son, Gregory. He always looked after Louise, at school, home, at parties, he was a better son and brother than anyone could ever ask for."

"I was driving us all back from a Christmas party, and I had too much to drink that night. Gregory asked if he should drive, but I told him I would be fine. But I over estimated and drove the car off onto the side of the mountain and the car hit a tree."

Margaret gasped, "Dr. Cooper, that's horrible, what, what happened?" "I was stuck behind the steering wheel and broke a few ribs. My loving wife, Katherine died on impact, and Louise had been thrown from the car." "What about Gregory?" Margaret asked. "Gregory, was fine. Not even a scratch. He blamed me though, and after the funerals, he and I got in an argument. He wanted someone to blame. He believed that some one was me. Maybe he had been right to think so, maybe not. But either way he left. I have no idea where he went. I haven't received so much as a post card. I, I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told you. But you reminded me so much of Louise. Nothing has touched that bit of my heart for so many years, and just your eyes twinkling like hers…"

Margaret smiled through the tears forming in her eyes, "Dr. Cooper. I've lost my father and mother. I know how much it hurts. But you don't have to pay me so much, honest. And I'm honored that you'd feel that way about me."

* * *

Margaret returned most of the money to Dr. Cooper. It was wrong to take more than the job had been worth. Especially after she really didn't need the money. I'm sure he just was trying to make up what happened years ago, she thought as she was about to climb on the cable car. But at the last second she changed her mind. She stopped, her hand about to clasp the handle bar of the cable car. She decided that maybe she needed to take a walk. She always took the cable car.

Maybe she'd go to that café she always saw when she passed by. She walked down Prince street a few blocks when she came upon the café Tuesday's Child. She was about to walk inside, when, for the first time she noticed a yellow door to the shop next door. She stopped and stared at it. "Madame? Would you like a table, oui?" Margaret turned to the hostess. "No, no thank you. I'm sorry. Maybe another time…" she said distractedly. She walked toward the yellow door. To think she had missed it all the times she passed by, in the past four weeks.

On the sign above the door were the words, "Designer Boutique." Underneath that was smaller letters, that read "M. Klinger."