one minute || h.s

twenty-six

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It didn’t take her long to realize that the post had been deleted, and she reacted just as I knew she would. A bunch of I-told-you-so’s and admit-it-you-like-hims were thrown at me, but I was okay with it. The excitement—the actual bounce in her step, even while sitting down was the most endearing thing I’d ever seen. She smiled the whole drive over to the animal shelter and she babbled on and on and on about the pro’s and con’s of girl dogs and boy dogs and then she proceeded to say that no matter what gender, we’d love it all the same. The dogs pick you kind of is what she said and I couldn’t understand how she’d volunteered so much of her time there, only to leave empty-handed at the end of the day. But today was different. Today we’d be leaving with a dog and I knew she’d be happy. Today was also going to be the first day that we stepped out into the public’s eye as a couple, and not only that, but we’d be adopting a dog as a couple. That was a bit huge and I knew the media attention would go crazy. They had already photographed me picking up her menstrual supplies, so that was cool. 

“I’m nervous.” She said, reaching for my hand as we stepped out of the car. 

“I am too. This is a bit excitin’ though, yeah?” Another breathtaking smile adorned her face and she sidled closer against my side. Walking in, we were greeted by an older couple and a middle-aged man. Their faces lit up when they saw her. 

“You ready to find your new pup?”

“More than ready.” She motioned to me, “This is Harry, Harry this is Heather and her husband John, they’re the founders, and this is Brian. He does all the fun stuff around here.” I shook each of their hands before Heather lead us into the back, where the sound of dog barking was almost out of control.

“I should have warned you, Hal, we don’t have much right now.” If this wasn’t much, then people really needed to start adopting more pets. “Harry, all of these kennels on this side are just our guests, we do offer boarding as well.” That made more sense, and that was where the majority of the noise was coming from. 

“Who is that…?” I watched as Hallie sunk down to her knees, seemingly in awe. 

“This is Penny. I thought you might like her.” Without any warning, she undid the latch and slipped inside the kennel. “We just got her in, John and Katie found her over in a dump on Roscoe and DeSoto.”

“At the intersection?!”

“Behind that shopping center, where the Carl’s Jr. is.”

“What happened to her eye?”

“When they found her, she had a tumor in her ear and her eye was completely done for. She’s healed entirely from both surgeries and she’s had all of her shots.”

“Hi, sweet girl…oh, look how pretty you are…” Hallie continued to whisper until the dog plopped itself down in her lap. Without a word, her eyes met mine and I knew we weren’t looking anymore. I knew we’d just found our girl.

“She’s on a TCA for separation anxiety, but I think after a few weeks, maybe a month, she’ll be able to ween off of it. She really is such a loving little girl.”

“She’s not very little.” I commented with a smile and Heather grinned back.

“I guess she isn’t no, she’s got an awfully big heart though.”

“Harry, come in here.” Hallie waved me inside and I slipped in and sat down on my knees. The dog moved from Hallie and welcomed me with about a thousand and five kisses. “She’s the one, Harry. She’s our girl.”

“I know she is.” 

“Want me to gather up the adoption papers?”

“Yes please.” Seconds later, we were alone with the one-eyed pit bull and Hallie was smiling from ear to ear. “She’s perfect, she’s just…she’s perfect.”

“What’s a TCA?”

“Oh, it’s tricyclic antidepressant. Most of the rescues have really bad separation anxiety, so when they’re left alone they freak out, kind of? It’s common in dogs that have been, like, abused or mistreated.”

“What did she mean we could ween her off?”

“Once they know that they’re safe, like, once Penny knows that she’s safe with us, it’ll get better and we’ll be able to eventually take her off the medication.”

“Are you happy?” I asked her out of the blue. She nodded and nuzzled her face into Penny’s neck.

“Like I said, she’s perfect.”

Hallie.

Thirty-two minutes after I left Harry and Penny in his Range Rover, I came back out of PetSmart with two carts full of purchases. “Bloody hell, woman, what did you buy?”

“Just some stuff.” I hummed while putting the items away.

“What kind of stuff, baby?”

“Um…three dog beds, cause she needs to be cozy at all times, food and water dishes, they’re red to go with the pretty pink collar and matching leash. A lot of dog food, some treats, some chew toys, so she never gets bored and a can of tennis balls because Heather said she likes to run.”

“Do you think we’re prepared enough?” I teased her just as the trunk was closed.

“I hope so.” Obviously, she didn’t catch on to my joke. “Was she okay?”

“Um, kept jumpin’ around and watching for you, she slobbered up the back window, so that’s good—”

“I really love her, Harry.” I reached my hand across the middle console and gripped hers.

“I know you do, monkey.”

“But I was thinking about her separation anxiety…if she’s staying at your place…what am I going to do?”

“You might have to stay at mine for a little while, at least until the tour is over.”

“But what about Jude?” Good question.

“Maybe just go once a day or something?”

“Maybe. I just don’t want to leave him alone either. Do you think they’d get along?”

“I have absolutely no idea, love.” Penny stuck her head up into the front and her wet tongue began to attack Hallie’s face. “I guess we’ll find out soon though, yeah?” She nodded and squeezed my hand a little bit tighter. 

“I guess we will.”