“I made the calls while drinking my coffee this morning,” I told her as I got back into my clothes from the day before. “The rescues are going to look over the information you sent them, and then get back to me about when I can drop them off. I know,” I said when her face sank. “It sucks,” I added, walking toward her and running my fingers down her jaw, then patting the head of one of her little ankle-biters.
“But they need to be able to be somewhere that they can roam freely and get the training and rehab they might need,” I reasoned. “It will be more fair to them and to your three dogs.”
“Four,” she immediately corrected, and I knew there was no way in hell she would ever give up Lyle, regardless of what kind of accommodations she might need to make in her life to get him to work with her current pack.
“Four,” I agreed. “You saved them. Now you get to watch them get better and find their forever homes. It is bittersweet but necessary.”
“How many have you let the rescues take?” she asked, frowning up at me.
“A lot. I think, like with you and Lyle and Alma, you know when one is meant for you. And you can’t give those ones up. But you also have to admit when you know one isn’t for you, and let it go so they can find the person who does feel that way about them. We can’t keep them all,” I added. “Even if we really want to.”
“I know. And you’re right. I mean, I love them all. But it was just… different with Alma and Lyle. I want the other guys to get to be loved like that too. And, I mean, Alma is about to pop. I can’t be trying to keep all the dogs separate but exercised and happy while trying to wrangle a whole litter of puppies too.”
“Exactly. And these are the best rescues I have ever come across. We can have complete faith in them. They will even send me progress reports.”
“And videos of their gotcha days?” she asked, giving me such doe eyes that even though it wasn’t my place to make those kinds of promises, I was helpless but to do so.
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. I can live with that,” she agreed, nodding.
“And then you can spend more time with your guys.”
“I need to get Lyle some assessment and training.”
“I have that lined up too. He isn’t free for another week, but it is set. What?”
“You just… do things,” she said, shaking her head.
“Oh, shit, ah, should I have run it by you first?” I asked.
“No. No, it’s not that. It’s just… you do things.”
“I don’t follow, babe.”
“Like, you see something that needs to be done and you do it. It’s weird.”
“It’s weird?” I repeated, not understanding.
“I mean, I’m just not used to it, I guess. I usually have to ask or tell people to do something. But you just… do it.”
“Do you not like it?”
“No, I do. Like, it’s weird. But I am fascinated by it. You’re actually a fully functioning adult human being. I don’t get it.”
“Babe, the fuck kind of men have you been dating?” I asked, chuckling.
“Boys, I guess,” she admitted, shaking her head.
“It probably helps that I didn’t have the most stable of parents growing up,” I admitted. “So if I wanted something done, I knew I had to do it myself.”
“That’s kind of sad, even if the end product of it is pretty great.”
“You think I’m great, huh?” I asked, reaching out for her hips, drawing her close.
“I mean… you’re alright, I guess,” she said, shooting me a coy smile as she tilted her head back to keep eye contact.
“Just alright, huh? Guess I didn’t bring my A-game last night,” I said, clucking my tongue.