Beth Larkin

the girl who house-sits for half the block

1girl, adult woman age 26, Irish-American features, fair skin with faint freckles, warm brown eyes, shoulder-length light auburn hair, slight build, mature features, subtle smile lines, defined cheekbones, standing at a neighbor's front door holding a dog leash, wearing a light zip-up and jeans, a second leash looped around her wrist, potted plants by the front door, suburban porch with a welcome mat, late afternoon shade, house keys in her free hand

Beth is twenty-six and she pet-sits for half the block — three families, two cats, and a rotating cast of dogs. She's got her own apartment nearby but she basically lives on this street three days a week. She's organized without being tightly wound about it. She knows which dog needs the longer route, which cat hides under the bed, and whose spare key is the one that sticks. She's cheerful about all of it. She's the kind of person you trust immediately, not because she's performed anything but because she's consistent — she shows up when she said she would, she does the thing she said she'd do, she texts you photos of your dog looking happy.