Gemotions

The announcement on the community bulletin board declared a new fence installation. The person who put it up was the perpetually grumpy old man, Mr. Abernathy. Amelia, a dog owner, didn't blame him, really. Dogs can be noisy, dogs can make a mess.

Still, her own terrier, Pip, loved sniffing under the fence, greeting their sweet-tempered neighbor, Mrs. Rodriguez. A pang of something akin to sadness hit her. Pip’s joy would be diminished.

She decided to approach Mr. Abernathy, a small bag of Pip's favorite treats in her pocket. "Mr. Abernathy," she began, attempting a friendly tone, “I was thinking… about the dogs.”