She dips her head and leaves the room. There’re squeaky noises that my brain places, but my heart won’t let it process fully. She opens the bathroom door and comes out with a white and brown furry ball. I stop breathing, and I’m getting dizzy. The furry ball twists in her hands as she places it on the ground. Two oversized triangle ears and short stubby legs scamper around in a circle.
“A puppy?” My knees shoot with pain, but I think that’s because my legs gave out as I hit the floor. Holy shit—it’s a corgi! She bought a corgi!
It hops around and runs towards me, barks twice and steps back. I put out my hands, and its wet nose sniffs and pokes me before it runs back to Alana. Euphoria isn’t the word—blackout bliss could be close. Alana walks closer to me and the puppy follows, jumping into my lap. He starts nipping at me and licking my face.
Big ugly sobs well up and explode out of my chest. “I love you so much.”
“Are you talking to me or the dog?” She asks.
“I don’t know.” The words break me, and I bury my head into its soft body. It squirms out and runs around twice, bouncing the whole time. “I don’t see the problem. Why would I be mad?”
The puppy rolls onto his back and I rub his belly. His mouth opens and his tongue flops to the side. A few seconds later Midge comes down the stairs. She meows at me and walks over for pets. “Did you meet your new brother?” I ask as she jumps on my lap.
“Yeah,” Alana lets out a deep exhale. “So that’s the problem.”
Midge pushes my hand off the puppy and swats at it with her tiny paw. No claws. But when the puppy crawls back into my lap, she seems fine if I’m petting both of them. The puppy yawns and does a circle resting his head on my leg. Midge curls up next to him and starts grooming him.
“She loves him. What’s wrong?”
Alana frowns and motions to the coat rack. There’re two harnesses and two leashes hanging up. “She loves him and that’s the problem. She can’t be away from him.” Alana walks over and scoops the puppy and walks him into the bathroom, closing him behind the door. Midge hisses at her and begins pawing and yowling at the bathroom. This continues until Alana opens the door and lets the puppy back out. Midge and the puppy tackle each other and run zoomies around the room.
“See… she’s miserable without him.” Alana moves her arms around wildly like this proves her point. The tears still streak my face, and I try wiping them away but more keep appearing.
“Babe, I need you to go really slow because I don’t see what’s wrong.”
“Midge is my cat.” Alana stomps her foot down. “She lives with me and we’ve been together way longer than I’ve been with you.” She crosses her arms and watches them play. “He’s your dog and is supposed to live with you.”
I blink at her a few times. “Soooo?”
She huffs and points at the animals. “It’s not fair to separate them.”
“And you’re upset because…you’re asking me to move in with you?” Maybe it’s jet lag and that's why it’s taken me so long.
Alana puffs out her cheeks and looks more annoyed than defeated. “You’re not moving in because I want you to, it’s what’s best for the cat and dog.”
I squint my eyes again trying to follow her logic. “Honestly, I’m not seeing a downside to this at all. I get to wake up next to the love of my life, and I get two fur babies.”
She frowns and stamps her foot again. “This wasn’t the plan. I had one plan that I worked on for years and you fucked that all up. I crafted a new plan while we were checking out of the hospital. I figured we would date for like six months, then move in and eventually have a lengthy discussion involving lawyers and prenups.”
My knees crack as I stand up and walk towards her with my hand on my chest. “Why, Ms. King, is this your way of proposing to me?”
“No!” She steps back but she’s too slow, and I grab her wrist. With one quick pull she’s in my arms and mumbling into my chest. “It’s just we didn’t discuss any of this and now I’ve got to speed up our relationship timeline, all because the stupid cat and dog fell in love.” Her frustration boils over into an almost adorable whine. “It wasn’t part of the plan.”
“All right. Tell me the original plan.”
“Okay,” she says. “Step 1: The Four Families have been taken care of, and all of their enemies are gone, and everyone is in love and happy because that’s what Nonna paid me to do. Step 2: When I’m well established in the Olympian Company, and left that life behind…” She trails off. “Then, and only then, would I start Step 3.…” She gestures vaguely.
My heart lifts a little, my whole body dipping with the shift in her tone. “Oh.” I get it. My soul warms. “You were going to come find me?”
“Yeah,” she admits, like it hurts. “I would come find you at some fancy event, and one of three things would happen, and I played out three different outcomes.” I raise a brow, waiting. “First,” she says, ticking it off. “You’d be with someone else. And we’d just… have closure. Of some kind.”
“Second?” I prompt.
Her lips curl slightly. “I’d be wearing an incredibly sexy dress, and we’d have a night to remember. And then, once I found out why you broke up with me, I would ruin your life beyond all recognition.” She shrugs. “Which would be a super fun hobby for me.”
I snort. “Have you tried making crochet animals?”
She shoves me. “Or” she continues, rolling her eyes like she hates even saying it. “We’d move forward. You and I. And maybe finally… I don’t know. Have our happily ever after, I guess.” She shifts, clearly uncomfortable now.
