Better Late Than Never

Boomer was doing his nut, he seemed to sense that it was too late, or too early, to bark, so he contented himself with running to the front door, then back into the kitchen where Tori was asleep with her head resting on her folded arms on the kitchen table.

Boomer looked again at the front door, he’d heard a car pull up, and then reached up to lick whatever part of Tori’s face that he could find. Seeing her raise her head slowly, he gave her a lopsided doggy smile and went back to bounding across the room, looking back at her expectantly.

“Good boy, is daddy home?” she asked the dog, watching for any sign of movement outside.

Boomer sat by the front door in guard mode until he heard the key in the door. As soon as it opened, he held his paw up to greet his dad’s return.

“Hey mate,” Tom said taking his paw. “You been looking out for mum while I’ve been gone?” He looked up and saw Tori standing in the kitchen doorway, a halo of light surrounding her from the kitchen light. “G’Day, luv. Sorry it took so long.”

Tori moved quickly toward him ready to give him a warm embrace, but he held his hands up to stop her. She looked at him in askance, then realised why he wouldn’t hold her.

“Oh my God, Tom. Please tell me that isn’t yours!”

“No worries, Luv. It was one of the casualties, a bit of a gusher; caught an artery.”

“Are they…?”

“Sadly, but on the bright side, we managed to save 24 from the bus, they were all towards the back.”

“How many?”

“Ten altogether, including the drivers of both vehicles. The bus was full, it was on a sight seeing tour of the area.”

“Oh no! That is too sad for words. Are you and Stevo okay?”

“Yep.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Tori. We both have someone wonderful to come home to; it helps ore than you could ever imagine.”

Tori took his hand and led him towards the bathroom. “Come with me, lover. You need to get those clothes off so that I can hug you…then I’ll put them into soak.”

Tom laughed, “Always Mrs. Practical. I love you, Tori.”

“I love you too, Bomber,” she replied.

Tom went to shower while Tori took his clothes and put them in a large bucket to soak until morning, then waited for him in the kitchen.

He came in with a towel wrapped round his waist, Boomer at his heels. Tori smiled at him. “I made dinner…hours ago.”

“Good onay, I could eat a horse and chase the jockey.”

“It’s not too late for you to eat?”

“No baby, better late than never, and I have tomorrow, or today now, off so I can stay in bed digesting,” he smiled, watching Tori get a plate and lay it before him.