The laundry room flashes through my mind. The cold tile, her breath against my skin, the way neither of us moved even when we should have. This feels the same. Only now, the stillness isn’t caused by gravity or surprise. It’s by choice.
Cocoa breaks the spell by jumping off the couch to investigate something in the corner, and Nicole glances at her watch.
“I should probably go,” she says reluctantly. “It’s getting late, and I’m sure you need your rest for … whatever professional athletes do in the morning.”
“Run until we throw up, mostly,” I say with a straight face, and she laughs again.
I walk her to the door, Cocoa trotting at her heels. She pauses in the doorway, turning to face me.
“Thank you,” she says, her voice sincere. “For the brainstorming session. For taking my idea seriously.”
“It’s a good idea,” I reply honestly. “Really good.”
“I’m going to look into it,” she says, standing a little straighter. “Do some research, crunch some numbers.”
“Let me know what you find out.”
“I will,” she promises.
She turns toward the door, Cocoa already angling himself to follow, and I let it happen for half a second longer than I want to. Long enough to recognize the familiar instinct—to keep things easy, let the moment end cleanly, tell myself this was enough.
But it isn’t.
Whatever is happening between us feels unfinished, and I’m not ready to let it end.
“Hey, Nicole?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. “Are you free tomorrow evening? For that, uh, dog training session?”
Her eyes light up, then a smile slowly spreads across her face. “Yeah. I’d love that.”
Fur-Ever Homes Forum
Forum Thread:How many times is too many times to take your cat to the vet?
@SavvySav:
I got my cat a few weeks ago, and we’ve already been to the vet three times because I swear this cat either has a death wish or wants to put ME in an early grave. How do I stop him from getting into trouble and/or getting hurt?
@cleoclaws:
Maybe he just needs to get used tohis new home?
@vet_julie:
Make sure he has plenty of enriching activities to keep him occupied. Some breeds need more than others, but if he’s bored, he’s more likely to get into trouble.
@birdmom88:
Are you sure you’re not overreacting?
@SavvySav:
Maybe? I’ve never had a pet before, so this is all new territory for me. But I swear he’s trying to make my life difficult on purpose.
@NicoleandCocoa25:
You should have gotten a dog.
@SavvySav:
