Breaking Skin Read Online Free PDF

I’m introducing the kids to my new old dog. New to me, old in dog years.
    Deedee’s plan for me to walk her dog in the park for the purpose of picking up single men didn’t go exactly as planned. Instead of meeting eligible, animal-loving single guys, walking her dog made me want a dog of my own.
    When I told Deedee I was going to the shelter to get one, she expected me to return with a carbon copy of Brandi, a pint-sized puppy who rides in purses and daintily nibbles snacks from your hand. Siegfried is the anti-Brandi. He’s more likely to eat your purse and leave a gallon of slobber behind.
    At the shelter, Siegfried stared at me with the saddest eyes I’d ever seen, tracking me from the moment I walked in. My heart actually beat harder when his dark, watery gaze connected with mine, as if he was silently asking me to give him a home, not to leave him there the way so many others had done. The woman at the shelter didn’t have much hope of anyone adopting an older dog like him. His former owner was elderly and passed away, which was the only reason Siegfried ended up there.
    When she told me his name, I knew his lucky day had arrived. Prince Siegfried is the name of the lead character from my favorite ballet, Swan Lake . It felt like Siegfried was meant to be mine. I know it sounds silly and sentimental, but I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving that place without him, and I feared what could happen to him if I did.
    It’s been a week since Siegfried moved into my tiny apartment, and we’re still getting to know each other. For example, Siegfried is learning that I will not get up in the dead of night to give him snacks, and I’m learning that he likes to trip me. My apartment may be too small for the both of us because he tends to step directly in front of me when I least expect it, forcing me to stop abruptly in midstride or nearly tumble over him. Once I actually did trip over him and landed hard on my side. He then proceeded to whine and lick my cheek as if it wasn’t all his fault.
    I fill the dog bowl in the kitchen with food, which I know will disappear in under ten seconds, and then I hit the shower. After I’m dressed, I make sure to put my pointe shoes in my bag. The kids love to watch me dance in them. There are a handful of girls around my niece’s age at the center on Sunday mornings. They always ask me to teach them a new ballet step when I come in.
    Familiar regret washes over me when I think of my niece, Langley, and my sister. It’s been almost four months since I’ve seen them. I’ve spent just as much time trying to see them, but Renee always has an excuse.
    The fact that she doesn’t want to see me is painfully obvious, although she never says it so bluntly. What’s worse is she keeps me out of Langley’s life too. She goes so far as to plan Langley’s birthday party each year when the company is traveling for a performance. It’s as if she looks at my schedule on the company website to ensure I won’t be in town.
    Now I finally have plans to see my sister and niece, and each time I receive a text or a phone call, I’m afraid it’s Renee canceling. After keeping her distance for months, she called out of the blue and invited me to stay with them next weekend. I’m so thankful for the invitation, I don’t want to ruin it by questioning her too much. Instead, I’m determined to enjoy my time with Langley and wait for the right opportunity to talk to Renee.
    Yesterday, the gift shop I pass on my way home from the studio had a pink jewelry box in the display window, and it made me think of Langley. When you open it, Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty pops up and pirouettes. It’s the perfect place for Langley to keep the necklace I sent for her birthday, and I plan to give it to her when I see her next weekend.
    The familiar sound of Siegfried’s food bowl hitting the wall tells me he’s still hungry. He likes to lick the bowl clean, and the force of his tongue pushes it