Page 24 of Property of Mongrel

“I foresee a lot of fun in your future,” I say. “Especially since you’re done with physical therapy now.”

“Oh! We saw Mr. Mongrel this weekend and he saved the cake pop lady!” JB exclaims.

“Really?” This must be what Betty was referencing.

“Yes! Me and Mama Rossi saw him and his brother, and I met the cake pop lady. I told him about Liam, thanked Miss Gretchen for the cake pops, then some man grabbed Miss Gretchen and Mr. Mongrel chased after them!” JB replies. “Then, there were a whole bunch of men who showed up who were wearing the cut that Mr. Mongrel wears. Miss Gretchen is okay, but I think Mr. Mongrel hurt himself again.”

“I’m glad he saved the cake pop lady,” I reply. “But I’m sad that he’s hurt.”

“He told his brother that it was worth it to keep her from being taken,” JB says. “I don’t know what that means, but I’m happy he was there too because I think the man would’ve hurt her. Instead, the bad man was arrested.”

“Bad men should be arrested,” I mumble as I complete his patient notes. “Now, since you’re all done with physical therapy, I just have one more thing I need you to do for me.”

“What’s that?” he asks.

“Have the best life ever, JB,” I say. “I’m glad you’re going to get a new family, and that you had Mama Rossi taking care of you these past few months.”

He jumps off the table and wraps his little arms around me. “I love you, Miss Addy. Thank you for helping me get better.”

“It was my pleasure and privilege, JB,” I tell him as I hug him back, my eyes smarting with unshed tears. “Let me know when you get a date for the adoption and I’ll come, okay?”

“Really?” he asks, looking up at me.

“Absolutely. I want to help you celebrate your new family, little man,” I reply.

“Mama Rossi, can you help me remember?” he asks, turning toward Darby, who is unashamedly crying.

“Yeah, JB, I will,” she says, “I promise.”

“Can I go tell Mr. Drake and Miss Kara that I’m done?” he asks.

Since they often helped keep an eye on him when I was showing Mongrel a new exercise, I nod. Once he leaves my office, I look at Darby and say, “Let me know what I can get for not only him, but his new brother, to celebrate.”

“You’re too kind, Addy,” she murmurs as I hand her a tissue so she can wipe up the tears.

“I usually get older teens and of course, adults. JB has been an absolute delight and joy considering what he came out of,” I reply. “So, yeah, I want to help celebrate his upcoming adoption, as long as his new dad doesn’t mind.”

“I’ll be sure to explain the relationship,” she says. “Now, let me get out of your hair so you can get on with your day.”

“I’ve got his chart updated, but I just sent the final assessment paperwork to print so you’ve got it for his caseworker.”

We walk out together so I can get the papers, and I see JB getting high fives from most of the other therapists who have also enjoyed having him in the office. We’re able to do therapy on people of all ages, but JB is one of the youngest patients we’ve had in quite some time. Not only that, but his infectious personality is one that makes others smile even if they’re what I refer to as Grumpy Guses.

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

Mongrel

“This sucks,” I tell Doc as I rub at my shoulder. Thankfully, I didn’t tear my labrum again, but I definitely strained the hell out of the muscles, which is going to set me back. Still, I saved Gretchen, so any pain I’m dealing with now is negligible in the grand scheme of things.

“You should’ve waited, Mongrel,” Doc retorts.

“There was no fucking way that prick was getting his hands on Gretchen again. I don’t think she would’ve survived, Doc.”

I saw how hard it was for her to go through detox. I wasn’t around when she was a teenager, obviously, but whatever nasty concoction Donnelly shot his victims up with had Gretchen going through hell until she was on the other side. While she never took her sobriety for granted before, she’s always on guard now since that poison was so damn toxic to her. It’s one of the reasons I had such a hard time accepting pain meds after my surgery. Not like I would wave the bottle around or anything, but I didn’t want what she refers to as the monkey on her back to cause her to relapse.

“That’s twice now that you’ve been hurt because of my ol’ lady.”