While You Were Away

I stepped into the relatively small building after I held the door for Emily. There was an open room with some chairs and a counter. The woman seated behind the counter looked up at us and smiled.

“Can I help you ladies?” She asked politely.

“Hi, we’d like to look at some dogs available for adoption,” Emily stated with a grin on her face and I had to hold my groan in.

“Oh yes, are you the one that called yesterday?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Right this way.” Emily and I followed as the woman led us into the back room. They had cages lined up against the walls, dogs of various breeds filling them.

“Ohh there’s so many,” I whined, looking at some of the smaller dogs closest to the door.

“Those are the ones that go first usually,” The woman pointed out. I looked up at her with my eyebrows raised. “The little ones I mean. People seem more open about adopting them.”

“Do you have any pitbulls?” I asked and she smiled softly before shaking her head.

“No, surprisingly, when we do get them, people adopt them pretty quick. But I have to go finish some paperwork. I’ll be by the counter if you find one you want to visit with or have questions about. Okay?” We both nodded and she left the room.

“Emily, this was a bad idea,” I groaned as I stooped down to look at a lab curled up asleep in its cage.

“Why?” She demanded, looking at me like I was crazy.

“Because I want all of these dogs now!” I exclaimed as I stood up, looking at more of the dogs.

“Well you guys have money, you could get a fe-”

“No! One is enough. If Val’s going to be mad, it’s not going to be because he came home to a zoo…” I trailed off as I came to the end of a row of cages. Looking in the cage, I couldn’t help but get sucked into the puppy eyes the dog was giving me.

“That’s the one you’re taking home,” Emily said suddenly and I looked up from my crouching position.

“What makes you say that?” I asked before returning my gaze to the large dog in the cage, watching me curiously, one ear flipped back.

“I can tell by the way you’re looking at it. You’re getting that dog.”

“I don’t know…Bullmastiffs are big,” I said quietly.

“Says the girl who asked why I got such a small dog,” She said, rolling her eyes.

“Hi guys, find any dogs you want to know about?” I looked up at the woman and Emily nodded, pointing to the cage I was at.

“Oh Harley? She’s got a little history that usually turns people off from her.” Emily and I both gave her the same curious look.

“What kind of history?” I asked, standing up.

“Well, to put it bluntly, she was abused. Because of that, she doesn’t like being around men. We’ve had her for about two months. A few people have tried to adopt her but it didn’t work out. They didn’t want to work with her it seems.”

“How old is she?” Emily asked.

“Ten months I think? I’ll have to check her file to make sure, but that sounds right.”

“And she was abused before you even got her?!” I was in awe that someone would do that to such a cute puppy.

“Yeah. If you’re thinking about getting her, you’re really going to have to work with her if you have a man in your li-”

“I’ll take her,” I said, not really caring what I had to do. Emily looked over at me with a grin on her face.

“You sure Val will be okay with it?” She asked and I shrugged.

“He’ll have to be. There’s no way I’m not getting this dog.”