Patricia Dalian stared at the small puppy that looked up at her with trusting eyes. When Lenore had told her of it and had shown her the photo, Patricia had melted, but she had been uncertain.
Her bones were not like they had used to be, and such a dog would surely need countless walks. Then, she had seen the same puppy performing tricks on the TV, and she had told herself, well, this puppy was going to get a home, even if it was not hers, for sure.
But days passed from that day to now, and she had gotten worried. What if everyone thought that the puppy was going to get a home, and no one stepped up? What if some vet gave it a pill or an injection and little Alex never woke again?
She didn't have much left in her. Maybe a couple of years, at best. She shouldn't be taking in a dog. They lived for long and, maybe, Alex would outlive her.
But she had decided that was a problem for when it happened. She was certain that her son, Ben, would look after her dog. He had three already, what was one more?
In the meantime, she would train the dog, make sure it was the most well-behaved pooch there was, and she was going to make sure that it got along fine with Ben.
"I'll take this puppy," Patricia said, and the man who looked at her from the side smiled, and his eyes got misty. He must have really loved the puppy, if this was his reaction.
"Thank you. He had just two weeks of leeway," Frank couldn't believe his luck. Finally, someone had come for Alex.
"Is he good with cats?" Patricia looked at the still sitting ball of fluff. She had two tomcats and would like for the dog to be good to them. If not, he would just be made to spend his days in the garden.
"He is a best friend with Shadow. And he also knows how to use a toilet," Frank opened the cage and the puppy got out. It sniffed the air and made a beeline for a stack of boxes. Something blueish jumped out of the boxes, and Patricia melted when she saw a cat petting the puppy.
"Is the cat also up for adoption?" Sure, things would have to be a bit tight when it came to money, from now on. But Patricia didn't spend much, and she got additional funds from her widow pension.
"She is, but there are a couple of things you should know. Shadow came from a terrible household. The children there abused her severely. She sometimes hisses and tries to bite and scratch," Patricia hummed.
A tough customer? Nothing a bit of love couldn't fix. She nodded to herself, determined not to separate the two friends.
"Is she neutered?" Patricia thought that it was cruel to let a cat get pregnant if one didn't keep the kittens. Not to mention irresponsible.
"Yes, she is. And she has all her vaccinations," Patricia nodded. Now, there was only one thing left to do. For her to introduce herself.
With slow steps, the elderly woman neared the two animals. She knelt down, despite her creaking joints, and extended her hand.
Alex came to her and began licking the hand.
"I will be taking you both home," the smile bleed into Patricia's voice, and she chuckled when the little puppy began to whine as she was not petting him. She fixed her mistake and the dog sat down, enjoying the attention. "And you will be very happy."
The cat looked between the puppy and Patricia and then, gingerly, came closer to Patricia's other outstretched hand. Shadow sat and Patricia began petting her, too.
"You are both so well-behaved. Such darlings," Patricia couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that both animals had been mistreated. They hadn't deserved it. That was for sure.
A strawberry-blonde woman neared Patricia with a stack of papers.
"Frank told me that you will adopt both Alex and Shadow?" Emily was hopeful. So many had come to see Alex. But, until now, no one had played with him.
"I will take both fluff balls with me," assured her Patricia and she stood. Emily led her to the front desk, the two animals following their new owner.
"Now, they had had breakfast already. Their portions are normally 150 grams of dog and cat food, respectively," Emily said in the well-rehearsed words.
"Good to know," Patricia took a pen and began to fill in the forms as the two animals curled up around each other and dozed off. Frank put them in a joined carrier and Patricia left.
Frank extended his hand up and grinned at Emily. She giggled and they high-fived.
"Here is to no dead animals in the past two weeks," Frank said. Honestly, it was truly something they should celebrate. "Hey, do you want to grab some drinks after work?"
Emily blinked. Frank had never made such a suggestion before.
"I don't drink," she stated, and Frank smiled.
"Silly of me to assume," he shook his head and Emily was quick to speak.
"But there is this really nice Chinese restaurant where they make fried bread that tastes divine. And their rice with chicken, mushrooms and bamboo is nothing to scoff at," Emily let the suggestion hang in the air and Frank grinned.
"It is a dinner, then," Frank spoke. Emily smiled and they went back to work. All the time, as she worked, Emily couldn't take her mind off the fact that she was going out on a date for the first time in five months. She tried not to think about her ex, who had dumped her on her birthday.
Frank was surely just suggesting a friendly outing. All the time they had known each other, he had made no suggestions that he liked her romantically. Besides, a man like Frank, who was built like a Greek god, would surely not bother with a plain Jane like herself.
But, if Emily could have read Frank's thoughts, she would have seen that she couldn't have been further from the truth. For Frank was humming in his mind. Sure that, unlike Rebecca, Emily could grow to like him for himself and not his fame.
