"Okay," Mark whispered, his voice a hostage negotiator’s. "Okay. We can fix this."
An hour later, defeat came on four legs. His golden retriever, Gus, nudged the door open, tail wagging. Gus was an optimist. He saw the full bowl not as a crisis, but as an extra-large, oddly positioned water bowl. blocked toilet
He couldn't. He'd used the plunger. He'd used the other plunger. He'd even tried the "dish soap and hot water" trick his mother swore by, which now meant his bathroom smelled like a lemon-scented swamp. "Okay," Mark whispered, his voice a hostage negotiator’s