They went through the paperwork together, and then ... it was time. Marin clipped on the collar she’d brought with her, with Ember’s name already inscribed on the name tag, and then she lifted the puppy into her arms. Ember whined, looking back at her siblings. This felt like a huge transition for her, going from living in a litter to being someone’s pet, but every puppy did it, so hopefully she’d adjust quickly.
“Ready to go home?” Marin asked the puppy.
Ember stared at her out of big brown eyes, and there was that warm feeling again. This puppy was about to turn Marin’s world upside down, no doubt about it, but she could already tell the reward was going to be worth the loss of sleep and chewed shoes.
After saying goodbye to Susan, they were off. Marin tucked Ember into a puppy carrier on the back seat before sitting up front. There was a whine from behind her. “Hang on, sweetie. We just have a short drive home.”
She talked to Ember all the way to her apartment, and the puppy cried a few times but was mostly quiet. When they arrived, Marin tried walking her in front of the building, “tried” being the operative word. Ember yanked and rolled like a fish on a hook, clearly unfamiliar with being walked on leash.
And Marin had her first reality check about life with a new puppy. Ember was a baby. She had almost no training yet. Marin had her work cut out for her, maybe more so than she’d anticipated. It was intimidating to realize that this helpless little creature was entirelydependent on her now. It was a big responsibility. And more than ever, she needed a house.
This morning, Marin had driven past the house Michelle told her about, and it lookedreallypromising. It was small, but it had so much charm, and honestly, small suited her right now. Best of all, it was situated in a wide-open field, surrounded by wooded hilltops, the perfect mountain hideaway. She and Ember would have all the space they needed for walks, hikes, and anything else they wanted to do together.
Marin couldn’t do any vigorous hiking with her leg injury, but she hoped to at least do some exploring in the woods. Staying active was actually good for her recovery, as long as she didn’t overdo it. There was a fine line that she was still adjusting to, but after months of rigorous PT, she was stronger than she’d ever been in many ways, despite the chronic pain.
She’d sent the link to Charlotte, although she wasn’t sure how to coordinate seeing a house while also settling in a new puppy, because Ember obviously couldn’t be left home alone so soon after adoption. Marin had to work on crate training with her this weekend. She hadsomuch to do to get Ember acclimated before her class on Monday. It was daunting.
“Is this her?” a female voice called from overhead, and Marin recognized it as belonging to Ji-Yoon, the art history student who lived upstairs. Ji-Yoon would be puppysitting for Marin over the next few weeks, a fact she was extremely grateful for.
“Yes, this is Ember. Want to come meet her?”
“Try and stop me!” Ji-Yoon clambered down the steps from the upstairs landing and crouched in front of the puppy, who was currently eating snow. “Hi, puppy.” Ji-Yoon knelt before Ember, arms outstretched. Ember’s little tail wagged so hard it performed a full loop-de-loop. “Aren’t you adorable?”
“She’s very cute, and she seems to like you,” Marin observed.
“I’m irresistible,” Ji-Yoon said with a laugh as she leaned down so the puppy could kiss her face. “And animals generally love me. Just letme know when you need me to puppysit. I’m not seeing anyone right now, so I’m happy to hang out with this adorable girl while I study. Do you mind if I have a few friends over to play with her too?”
Marin smiled at the way the girl babbled on. She liked Ji-Yoon a lot, and it was handy that she lived upstairs. This was the positive trade-off of living in an apartment, something she’d lose when she moved into a house. “I think it would be great if you had friends over, actually. I’m told socialization is important at her age, and that’ll be hard to accomplish in January since I can’t take her around town very easily. So yes, please introduce her to your friends.”
“Excellent. Ember, you and I are going to be besties,” Ji-Yoon proclaimed before pressing a kiss between the puppy’s ears. “See you around, Professor Easterly. You’ve got my number. Just text when you need me. Otherwise, I’ll be here like we discussed to watch her during your class on Monday.”
“Perfect, and it’s Marin, remember? I’m not your professor. I’m your neighbor.”
“Right, right. Feels weird, but okay, Marin.” Ji-Yoon waved before heading back upstairs.
Ember whined, watching her go.
“You like her, huh? That’s good. All right, Ember. Ready to see your new home?”
Chapter Nine
Charlotte arrived at Marin’s apartment just past five, carrying a bag of burgers and fries for her and Marin, as well as a few goodies for Ember. She knocked quietly, not wanting to disturb the puppy if she was asleep. Sleeping puppies were like sleeping babies in Charlotte’s opinion ... never to be woken if it could be helped. A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal Marin with a small black puppy cradled in her arms.
“Oh hi, puppy,” Charlotte cooed.
“This is Ember.” Marin looked a bit harried, locks of brown hair escaping her ponytail, slightly out of breath, and there was a wet spot on the thigh of her jeans.
Charlotte would guess that Marin had already gotten a crash course in how exhausting it was to keep up with a young puppy, but at the same time Marin’s eyes sparkled with joy. She looked so happy, and maybe because Marin had been just a dim shadow of this woman when Charlotte first met her on that bus, she found she couldn’t look away.
“I don’t have to ask if you love having a puppy,” Charlotte said.
“You don’t?” Marin cocked an eyebrow. “Because I haven’t sat down in three hours, I’ve lost count of how many accidents I’ve cleaned up, and I’m not even sure what’s on my jeans, but I hope it’s water.”
Charlotte laughed, setting her bags on the table before she extended a hand to pet the puppy. “Yeah, but you’re beaming, and I’m here now to help with the puppy wrangling. What do you say, Ember? Want to hang out with me and give your mom a breather?”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Marin passed the puppy into Charlotte’s arms.
“Nah, I just love puppies. Go do whatever you need to do. We’ll be fine.” She turned toward the kitchen while Marin disappeared into the bedroom. The kitchen floor was strewn with toys and a cardboard box with puppy teeth marks all over the flaps. “Looks like you’ve been a busy girl this afternoon, hmm?”
