“You look very happy,” she says. “And Cullen is like a new man.”
“We’re both excited for the New Year and setting up PAWS. He’s keen to help people. He hasn’t said anything, but I think he kind of sees it as clearing a debt, you know?”
“A way to earn redemption?”
“Kinda. It’s not necessary of course. I don’t blame him for Jack’s death. But it’s given him a purpose, and it makes him feel better, so…” I shrug.
“It’s going to be really exciting to see PAWS grow,” she says. “Archer was saying he’s already got clients who are interested in going there for therapy.”
“Yes, and I think he has several associates who are keen to come and work there too. First we have to get it up and running though. It’s going to be a busy few months, but it’ll be worth it.”
“Definitely.”
We start walking back into the main room. “You know where I am if you need anything,” she says. “You’re always welcome to call or come and see me.”
“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”
We stop and hug, and she goes back to join Leon, while I walk over to Cullen.
“Hey gorgeous,” he says, sliding an arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. “Albie was just saying how he’s happy to help us set up the IT at PAWS.”
“That would be amazing,” I reply.
“Obviously you’ll have to keep patient records,” Albie says, “so I was saying that you’ll need a solid security system. I can organize that for you.”
“You’re going to be Practice Manager?” Charlie asks. He’s the father of both Albie and Poppy, who runs the Petting Zoo. He’s in his sixties, tall with short silver hair and rectangular glasses, and he’s gorgeous in a nerdy kind of way.
“Yes. I still can’t believe it!” I laugh. At first I felt intimidated at the thought of running the center, but over the last four days Cullen, Archer, and I have talked a lot about what it would involve, and I’m realizing that what they need more than anything are my organizational skills, and that Icando.
“How many computers do you envisage at the center?” Albie asks me.
“Ooh… oh… well Archer and Cullen will both have an office, and we’ll need one for the front desk.”
“Your office?” Albie asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t need a separate office. I’m happy to share it with the other staff. I think we can fit four desks inthat corner room, so we’re looking at seven PCs plus maybe a couple of laptops.”
“We’ll hire maybe two admin staff to begin with,” Archer says. “One will work on reception, one in the office room. That will leave two desks that we’ll have as hot desks for whatever therapists are on duty that day. Maybe we’ll have to expand that; we’ll have to wait and see.”
“No problem,” Albie says. “I’ll price up a deal for you and email it through.”
“I love it when a plan comes together,” Charlie says, and we all chuckle.
“What are you all concocting?” It’s Brock, together with his brother, Matt. Both of them are also in their sixties. Brock’s a pediatrician specializing in childhood respiratory illnesses, and Matt is an author of children’s books. I used to read his most famous one, Ward Seven, to Max when he was a toddler. The characters from it have been made into soft toys that are used to decorate the specialist medical equipment that Charlie has helped create.
“The Three Wise Men,” I say with a smile.
“I still have no idea why you chose a name that was so far from the truth,” Albie says.
Brock grins. “Fake it till you make it.”
Archer chuckles. Then he says, “I wanted to say thank you to all of you, by the way, for the generous donation that We Three Kings has given to PAWS. It means we’re able to cover all the costs for renovation and initial set up, which is fantastic.”
“It’s close to all our hearts,” Matt says. “We all know people who have been through the mill and who’ve needed the kind of help that PAWS will be able to give.” He glances across the room, and we follow his gaze to see his adopted son, Noah, gesticulating as he tells some story to Hal and Stefan.
“He’s a force of nature,” Brock says, amused.
“It’s been a long journey for him,” Matt replies, “but creating the Ark was the best thing he could have done. It’s helped so many animals, and people, and PAWS will hopefully be able to do the same.”
