Archer sighed as she closed the front door behind her, the weight of the day sinking into her fatigued muscles. She tossed her keys on the kitchen counter and kicked her smelly shoes into a corner with the rest of them. She rounded the corner into the living room to see Zane stretched out on the couch reading a book. Their dog Chester was sprawled on his back, legs in the air, in a dog bed next to the couch. Man’s best friend, Archer thought.
Chester sat up when Archer entered the room and wagged his tail patiently. Zane looked up from his book and gave her a smile that softened the rough edges of her exhaustion. She laid on the opposite end of the couch, his feet by her shoulders and hers by his in turn. She sighed again and let her body sink into the cushions. Chester crawled over and licked at her fingers that dangled off the edge of the couch.