Isabella entered the women’s shelter Saturday morning with Casper on a leash smiling as a handful of children charged her desperate to pat the tiny dog in a bowtie. She handed the lead off to the woman who ran the Saturday morning daycare and smiled. “He’s been looking forward to this for a month.” His movements were so exuberant the little dog was being wagged by his own tail.
She walked to the offices of the administrator and counsellors and poked her head into the room where Sabine had just finished a group counselling session.
“God damn sweet cheeks, you look like hell.”
“That bad, huh?” She pushed a cup of coffee in Sabine’s hand and then flopped in a metal folding chair.
“Have you slept?”
“Depends on how you define sleep. If you mean on the sofa crying myself to sleep like a bab
