She keeps petting him for a few seconds more before standing tall. Pip goes straight to his bed and plops down as she exits and closes his cage.
“I feel bad.” Lacey’s bottom lip sticks out in a cute pout.
“He looks pretty happy.” As long as I’m not near him anyway.
“They take good care of the animals here, but it’s still sad to think so many of them need good homes.” She reluctantly takes a few steps farther away from Pip.
“You’ve spent a lot of time here,” I say. I noted how familiar she was with it from the moment we walked in. The guy at the front recognized her and said it was good to see her again, and it only took her vouching for me for us to be waved back to help out.
“I used to volunteer once or twice a week in the evenings, but things with school and cheer have been so hectic.” Her brows pinch together, and I can see how hard she’s being on herself for not coming more.
I take her hand and thread our fingers together. “You’ve done more than most people.”
“This is where we got Burt.”
“Really?”
She nods. “He came in all matted and dirty, but I loved him the instant I saw him. He was just a puppy.This little bundle of energy somehow happy and sweet even though he’d been through so much. They don’t know if he got lost or was dumped by someone, but he’d obviously spent at least a few weeks without shelter. From the second I had in my arms, I knew he was mine. I cried for my dad to let me keep him. He made me put up posters all around town first in case he belonged to someone.”
She smiles as she tells the story, and I can picture her, a few years younger but still as determined.
“I’m going to figure out how to volunteer more. Maybe I can come on weekends,” she says.
“And you crossed off another item on the list.” At her smile, I add, “How many more to go?”
“Quite a few. Claire is taking me skating next week.”
We get into my SUV. The stink of us seems worse in the confined face. She wrinkles up her nose as if smelling it too. But she just looks so cute, I can’t resist leaning over and kissing her.
“You smell like dog. Or maybe that’s me.” She laughs but kisses me back.
When we break apart, I sniff myself, then shrug. “I guess at least we both stink.”
She giggles, and while I’m still enjoying the sound and wondering if I ever felt this happy before, she leans forward and licks the side of my face like I did to her earlier.
* * *
We head to her house to study after finally leaving the parking lot of the shelter. Her dad isn’t home, so she lets Burt out, and we take him on a quick walk.
“I’ve been talking to my mom,” I say as I slow my steps to walk in sync with her on the path in front of her neighborhood.
“Really?” Her brown eyes light up as she glances over at me. Burt prances happily, stopping every few feet to sniff something.
“Yeah. I called her after I passed my algebra test and then again when I found out the Mountainview game was canceled.”
“That’s great.” She keeps smiling at me for a beat and then glances away and falls quiet.
“What?” I ask, sensing there’s something she wants to say but isn’t.
“Nothing. I was just thinking how much I wish I could call mine.” She gives me a sheepish smile. “I don’t want to take away from how huge it is that you’re talking to yours; it just hit me.”
I take her hand in mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Nah, don’t be. I’m really happy for you. How is it talking to her?”
“Are you sure you want to talk about this?”
“Yes. Please. It was just a moment of jealousy. I’m fine.”
