Silence was the loud reply.

The excitement and sophistication of my life continues to inspire shock and awe, (in my own tiny mind, if nowhere else).
When I went to pick up my husband at the airport, after his recent trip to France, as well as dodging the hazards of all the ghouls and goblins who were out for Halloween, I had to gently confess that one of my foster dogs had bounced back, so to speak. Darcy has found her permanent home in Carmel, lunching with friends at The Cypress Inn, but Boomer's stay in Santa Cruz came to an abrupt end when he caught and shook the neighbor's cat. We knew he was overly interested in felines, (and not in a good way), but the prospective adopters were sure that their experienced and dog friendly cat would tame him. They were working hard to integrate the pair, although we had heard rumblings about Boomer's athletic prowess surfing over the furniture in pursuit of the small furry kitty of his dreams.
Before my spouse left he had already suspiciously asked, "If they want to bring him back, what are you going to say?" No answer was the loud reply from me. "Tell them you are going out of town" he said. Still no answer from me.
Boomer was delivered back to me last week in the middle of a dinner party I was having with friends. Luckily, Boeuf Bourguignon can stand to wait and be served only after all dog-needs are taken care of. I didn't mention his return to my traveling hubby. It would not have changed anything if I had.
A few days later, close to midnight, as we watched the lonely carousel turning at San Francisco International airport with no sign of hubby's luggage, I mentioned that there was, once again, an extra dog in the house. "I told you to tell them you were going to France with me" he said. No answer resounded this time as I was biting my tongue. There is no "I told you" that sits well with me and, by the way, I would have rather enjoyed a quick trip to Paris but I had to stay here and keep our business going! All remained unsaid, in the interest of spousal harmony. "What would you have told them if you were really in France with me?" He asked. "Then I would TRUTHFULLY have been able to tell them that" was my reply. End of discussion.