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Winnie sat in the narrow inner courtyard between her front gate and her front door. The pathway between the planting beds was hard brick, but she always brought a soft, plush pillow with her to sit on. She was past the days of ever subjecting herself to discomfort if she could help it.
The pillow was actually a dog bed that Clover her yellow Labrador had rejected within a day of Winnie bringing it home. Something about the shallow sides, or maybe the texture of the corduroy fabric along the rim … Clover was a girl of strong opinions, and Winnie had no desire to try to boss her.
They lived as companions and roommates, both admiring and respecting each other. Clover especially admired Winnie’s ability to toss cubes of cheese and slices of carrots into the air when she was cooking. Every
