Christopher shrugged.
“I can see that.”
“Growing old isn’t something he needs to apologize for.”
The couple with the golden retriever had stopped eating.
They were watching us now.
Christopher’s irritation grew.
“I’m not discussing this all afternoon. Spend thirty dollars or leave with the dog.”
I looked at him.
Something inside me changed.
It wasn’t only what he had said about Benny.
It was the way he had looked at both of us.
As though being old made Benny ugly.
As though being careful with money made me undesirable.
I had entered the café because I felt faint.
Yet within minutes, this stranger had somehow made me ashamed that all I could justify buying was coffee.
Then I became angry at myself for feeling ashamed.
“I came in because your sign says dogs are welcome,” I told him.
“And they are.”
“Apparently only the pretty ones whose owners order enough food.”
