I started my day by waking to the smell of dog. The slobbery nose sniffed my ear, and the big paws on my chest interchangeably smacked my face. It was as if Pepper were saying, “Wake up, you fool. Today’s the day!”. The dog was my neighbor’s, but I had offered to watch her while they were on vacation. She was black with peppered fur on her paws. Today was the day, wasn't it? The day I was to propose