Hold the Forevers

23

Savannah

August 3, 2012

I stepped out of the hospital room. My stomach felt wobbly as I returned to the lobby.

“You’re all set,” the man at reception said to me.

“Thanks,” I said, taking another sip of the juice box the nurse had given me when I’d had my blood drawn.

Ash waited for me in the lobby with his head buried in his phone. He’d told me on the way over that he was reading the recently released thriller, Gone Girl. His head popped up when I walked out, and his frown deepened.

“Are you okay?”

I shrugged. “Apparently, my blood pressure was low. I did too much research before we got here and freaked myself out. Plus, blood.”

“That sounds like you.”

“They said I should hear in a few days if I’m a match, and then if I am, I can come back in for more tests.”

“To check your kidney’s health?”

I nodded.

We’d discussed all of this ahead of time. Ash listened as I spiraled into the medical side of the internet. I went way overboard, but I couldn’t seem to stop researching. The only reason I’d put off getting tested this long was because my mom had insisted that she didn’t want me to get tested.

I’d decided that I couldn’t wait any longer. Ash agreed to take me to my appointment since I was squeamish. I hadn’t told my mom. The average person was on the transplant list for three to five years, but I’d rather know if I was a match than wait until it was too late.

“Maybe we should get you some lunch,” he said as we left the hospital behind.

We walked over to his brand-new dark blue Mercedes, and he helped me into the passenger seat.

“I have a better idea,” I said once he was seated. “I know I start PT school in, like, two weeks, but I want to get a puppy. I didn’t pull the trigger when I lived in Atlanta because I didn’t want to deal with one while living in an apartment.”

“But now, you have a house.”

I nodded. I’d rented a small two-bedroom downtown after I decided to attend PT school here in Savannah to be closer to Mom. I was renting with Marley’s twin brother, Maddox, who was like a brother to me and had always not-so-secretly crushed on Josie. He had a floppy shih tzu mix that mostly lounged on the couch all day. We’d agreed, no cats.

“Yes, a puppy will make me feel better.”

Ash shook his head. “I shouldn’t have worn a suit.”

“You always wear a suit.”

“It’s kind of my job.”

“Whatever. Don’t try to act all fancy on me.”

“That never appealed to you anyway.”

True. It never had.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the Savannah Humane Society.

“Hi, can I help you?” a woman asked from behind the desk as we stepped inside.

“I’ve come to adopt a dog,” I said.

“Oh, wonderful. Have you been here before?”

“No. Kind of spur of the moment.”

“Well, great! I’m sure one of our dogs would love to go home with y’all.”

Of course it looked like Ash and I were about to pick out a dog together. I opened my mouth to object, but Ash put a hand on my lower back. Our eyes met in the small space. It wasn’t an absurd suggestion and probably more awkward to say something than to let it stand.

“Yes, I can’t wait,” I said instead.

The woman went through all the adoption information with me, and then finally, I got to find a puppy. My heart ached to walk the building. So many puppies without homes. I wanted to adopt them all.

I turned the final corner and found the most adorable little dachshund jumping at the bars. She had the silkiest dark brown fur with a long nose and big puppy eyes. It was love at first sight.

“Oh my God, look at you,” I gushed.

She was teeny. Clearly not exactly a puppy anymore, but so very little. I stuck my hand out, and she nuzzled into it and then licked my fingers.

“Yes, you are the cutest thing, aren’t you?”

“She suits you,” Ash said behind me.

“Do you love her too?” I asked, looking up at him.

His eyes shifted from the puppy to me. “Yes, I do love her.”

My cheeks flushed at the words and the way he looked at me. I hastily returned my gaze to the dog.

Ash and I had been spending time together and texting, but he had Heather. That was safer and better for him. We were too complicated, and I’d spent so long not trusting him that it felt all new and different to be here as friends. To actually feel like I was starting to trust him again.

“I want her.”

The woman from the desk came out and put a leash on the dog. We walked her around the premises and played with her, off leash, in a pen. I was smitten. There was no doubt about it; this was the dog for me.