maggie.and.bailey

Couch o'clock: the most important time of day

BAILEY: Humans have lots of times. Breakfast time. Work time. “Not now, Bailey” time. But there’s one time that matters more than all of them.

MAGGIE: COUCH O’CLOCK.

BAILEY: Couch o’clock. It happens at the end of every day. Dinner has been eaten. The dishes are making their clanky noises. And then Mum sits down on the couch and lets out a big sigh.

MAGGIE: That sigh is the signal. Everyone knows the sigh.

BAILEY: We both go straight up. Now, the couch technically fits one Mum and a small amount of dog. We are not a small amount of dog. We are two whole dogs. So it’s a puzzle.

MAGGIE: I go on the lap side. I like to put my head right on Mum’s tummy and look up at her so she can see my eyes. Then I lick her hand. Then I lick her other hand. Then she says “okay, okay, Maggie” and I stop. Then I lick one more time, as a treat.

BAILEY: I go on the leg side and lean. Leaning is an art. You put your whole weight on the human, slowly, until they’re basically holding you up. Mum pretends she doesn’t notice. She notices.

MAGGIE: Sometimes Dad tries to sit down too.

BAILEY: And we look at him.

MAGGIE: And he sits on the other chair.

BAILEY: It’s not personal, Dad. It’s just that couch o’clock is a Mum thing. You get the walks. Mum gets the couch.

MAGGIE: Mum strokes our ears and tells us about her day. We don’t understand most of it, but we agree with all of it.

BAILEY: Then someone falls asleep. Usually all three of us.

MAGGIE: Best time of the day. Every day.