Abnormality

"Later, our daughter came back—"

Driver Uncle's words broke off. He picked up his coffee and took another big gulp.

His coffee was nearly gone.

Xiao Xiao pushed his untouched coffee over to Driver Uncle.

"Thanks."

Driver Uncle didn't refuse. He picked up Xiao Xiao's coffee and took another big gulp.

It was hard to tell whether his tightly furrowed brows were from the bitter coffee or something else.

"The doorbell rang."

"Child's Mom went to answer it."

"Our daughter was outside."

"But she was alone."

"There was no puppy."

"No puppy!"

Driver Uncle repeated himself, his hand gripping the coffee cup handle tapping anxiously and restlessly against the cup, making a series of quick, dull knocks.

"Child's Mom and I were both confused."

"We even looked outside, thinking the puppy might be over by the stairs."

"But it wasn't."

"But our daughter looked so excited that we found it strange."

"So we asked her, 'Where's the puppy?'"

"Our daughter froze, then pointed beside her and said, 'Isn't it right here?'"

"She was smiling so happily. She thought we were teasing her."

"Child's Mom's face went pale at once."

"My heart sank, too."

As he spoke, Driver Uncle wiped his face, then picked up the coffee and downed several more gulps.

The bitterness in his mouth could no longer drown out the bitterness in his heart.

Remembering what had happened, Driver Uncle reached up and rubbed his forehead hard.

"I asked my daughter where the puppy was. There was nothing beside her."

"But my daughter looked at Child's Mom and me strangely."

"Really strangely."

"She said the puppy was right beside her."

"The serious look on our daughter's face scared us."

"After that, no matter what we said, our daughter kept insisting the puppy was right