I hear a bell. I bark and run to the door. My owner gets there first and opens it. There's a woman! But her fur is fluffy. She's not the woman I remember. She smells different. She smells like trees and plants. I bark for her and twirl around.

"Oh! He's a loud one, isn't he?"

"Sorry 'bout him, he's jus' excited."

The woman steps around me and I follow her, sniffing everywhere I can reach. She sits on our couch and I jump next to her. I put my paws on her. 

"Hey, Charlie, off!"

I look at my owner. He looks serious. I step off the woman and she grooms herself. I can groom too! I lift my leg to show her and start licking. I feel hands on me and I'm on the floor. My owner takes my spot and talks to the woman. She talks to him. She touches him a lot. And he touches her a lot. 

I want touches! I want pets! I bark!

"Hey, knock it off, Charlie."

I stop barking. My owner snaps his fingers. The woman's face is upset. They're upset. I upset them. I let my tail drop and I stand very still, hanging my head. They ignore me. I sit and watch them. They don't even look at me. I leave. 

**********

"Sorry, Charlie, ya' can't come in tonight."

My human closes the door on me again. I'm stuck outside. I stare and wait for it to open. I whine. I scratch the door. I tremble. I lie on the floor. I guess I'm stuck out here again. I sigh. 

**********

Something kicks me and I stand up and yelp. "Oh, sorry, dog." The woman steps over me and walks away. She closes the door behind her and I have no choice but to follow her. She ignores me. I sniff my food bowl and it's empty. I drink some water. It splashes all over my fur and the floor. The woman is drinking too. She finally looks at me and I lift my tail to wag. I wait for her to speak to me but she says nothing. Instead she walks away. I follow her back to the door and she closes it before I can go in. 

My tail droops.

**********

"Don't worry 'bout Cynthia, Charlie, I don't think she's comin' back.

My owner lets me sit on the couch next to him. He strokes my fur and holds his thin smoke stick. He holds it far away from me. I rest my head on his leg. He smells like the woman. She probably smells like him. Our bed probably smells like her. I'll smell like her. I sigh. My owner sighs. 

Something bothers him.