“Do you know where you’re going?” The voice was higher than his usual, and oddly nasally, but there was no doubt that it was, in fact, Tomica talking.

He appeared to debate it for a moment, to hee and haw and wonder. “Well… not really. But I don’t usually - I’m just here. I don’t have any reason to be here except to prove that I can, really.”

“But aren’t you scared you’re wasting your life?”

“That’s not very nice Samica, and I know you’re much nicer than that. We don’t talk about things like that, not when we’re together.”

“But are we lost? Where are we supposed to go?”

“Hmmm… I don’t know. But, if we wander long enough, I’m sure I’ll find someone and find something to do.”

“You really have no idea?” Samica was unlikely to get exasperated, but he felt like it fit the conversation. 

A warm-hued body flitted into the edge of his vision. “We don’t need to have an idea. Phoebe found us.”

Samica, the dog, not his “conversation partner”, let out a loud yawn, or sigh, or some other sound that seemed appropriate if she’d actually been the one having the conversation. But Tomica knew the truth - he could never be lost if he was just wandering without purpose. Someone would find his way.