They left the fancy restaurant with its real tablecloths and jumped back in Harry’s car. He drove with a secretive smile on his face, his eyes sparkling with mischief in a way Hannah realized she’d missed over the last few years. It was exactly the way she’d remembered Harry.
He pulled up next to a field, smack bang in the middle of nowhere. Racing around the car, he opened the door for her and took Hannah’s hand when she stepped out.
“You’re not planning on leaving me here, are you?” Hannah joked. Sort of. She never felt at ease when it was dark outside and she was in the middle of it.
“Not yet,” Harry replied.
He guided her through the field until he reached a seemingly random patch of grass. He lay down, tugging her hand until she joined him on the soft earth.
They stared up at the stars, crystal clear now they were outside the town and there were no lights around. The moon was doing its best to put on a spectacular show, its beams casting shadows and light in all different directions.
“I call that star Hannah,” Harry said as he pointed to a particularly bright star.
“Why Hannah?” she asked.
“Because it’s the most beautiful one in the sky.”
Her stomach did flip flops and the smile creeping across her face was inevitable. Everything she used to feel for Harry was unleashed inside her, like it had been there the whole time but hidden behind a secret door. Somehow he’d found the key and unlocked it.
She slid closer to him until their arms were touching. Harry waited a moment to see whether it wasn’t an accident before he took his arm and wrapped it around her.
They laid in the field, watching the stars and feeling like they were part of the universe for a very long time. Long enough for the universe to shift a little to the right and rearrange itself.
Perfect didn’t even begin to describe it.
CHAPTER 8
“Do you think it’s possible to love two people at one time?” Hannah asked as Coco was making sandwiches for their lunch.
“Love is infinite,” Coco replied. She cut the sandwiches in two and handed one to her daughter. Billy waited patiently at her feet for some tidbits.
“Care to elaborate on that bold statement?” Or confusing one, Hannah thought to herself. She always knew she was desperate when resorting to asking her mother for advice. She was far down the list of people that could actually be helpful.
“All I’m saying is that love should not be placed in a box. It is what it is. If you feel the same for two different people, then why restrict yourself to one? You’ve got the rest of your life to be sensible.”
“So it is perfectly plausible to love two people?”
“Of course it is.”
“How do you love them both without hurting either of them?” That was what Hannah truly needed to know. She pictured Logan and Harry in her mind, wondering how she would be able to play the game without either of them being burned in the process.
She came up empty.
Coco, however, patted her on the back with her patented parental smile. “You have to be really good at lying. How are your acting skills?”
“Terrible.”
“Then practice.”
It was all the advice Hannah could accept for one day. She finished her sandwich only more confused than she already was.
The only good thing about going into work was the fact she knew she wouldn’t be working with Harry. He was still being rostered on the opposite shifts to her, making the zoo a confusion-free zone where she could focus on the animals.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Harry, it was just that she didn’t know what she would say to him. Their date had been amazing but it hadn’t switched off the feelings for Logan she was trying to forget.
What Hannah hadn’t counted on was seeing Harry in the locker room as he finished his shift. He was leaning against the wall, as if waiting to see her.
She hurried to her locker and buried her face inside, hoping she could pretend to have not seen him. Unfortunately, she wasn’t so lucky.
“Hey, Han!” Harry exclaimed happily, moving to casually lean on the locker beside hers. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since last night.”
She did her best to be surprised. “Hey, I didn’t see you there. Last night was nice, thank you.”
“Maybe so good we have to do it again? Doing different things, of course, but another date?” Hannah loved the way Harry talked when he was nervous. He’d done it when they were fifteen and he still did it now all those years later.
When he was standing in front of her being adorable, it made her think that she was silly thinking Logan could like her the same way. She smiled. “I would like that. We should do it again sometime.”
Harry’s entire face lit up like someone had made a bunch of fireworks explode just over his head. “Great! I’ll call you, okay? We’ll work something out.”
“Yeah.” She watched him leave and closed her locker, taking a few deep breaths to refill her lungs. She was making the right decision, she told herself. Harry was good for her, he was sweet and kind and just lovely.
She managed to talk herself into moving and checked her scheduled. She was on panda-watch for her shift, glad to be spending some time with the newest addition to the zoo.
Mei-Ping was doing what he normally did when Hannah passed him – eating. He had shoots of bamboo between his huge paws, munching away and generally being nonplussed with the people who crowded to catch a glimpse of him.
She took her position just outside his enclosure and completed the checklist about his wellbeing. Eating, check. Clean fur, check. Scat in the pen, check. Under general condition, she wrote ‘content’.
The checklist was completed every shift change as they kept a close eye on the panda. The zoo in China had been kind enough to give him to them and they weren’t going to let them down. Mei-Ping was their most important guest.
“Content?” Logan’s voice startled Hannah as he crept up on her from behind. “I’m sure you can think of something more creative than content. How about ‘exceedingly astute’.”
Hannah shrugged as the smile spread over her lips. “Can a panda be described as astute? I mean, we don’t know what he’s thinking. He might really be quite silly.”
“Good point. Content it is.” Logan nudged her with his shoulder. “How’s it going, Han-ban?”
“Pretty good. How about you?”
“Exceedingly astute.” A cheeky grin broke out across his face. “I just finished an operation on Josie.”
“Oh, no. Is she alright?” Hannah was genuinely concerned for the meerkat. They were one of her favorite animals in the zoo. They were known for their mischievous ways so she wasn’t entirely surprised one of them needed medical attention.
Logan waved it away like it was nothing. “Yeah, she’s fine. The little girl decided that rocks taste better than the food we provide. One got lodged in her intestine so I had to open her up and pop it out.”
“I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Me too. I could have used the help. Plus, you know, intestines are awesome. They just keep going and going, like one of those handkerchiefs a clown has. Super cool to scrounge around in.”
Hannah could only imagine but the idea of Logan enjoying his surgery didn’t surprise her. He was born to be a vet and every time he treated an animal it was like a new day at a county fair.
They sat side by side in the chairs provided for panda-watch. Considering how long they had to sit there, Hannah thought the zoo could have provided something more comfortable than hard plastic.
Still, they watched Mei-Ping and waited for an opportunity to record something the panda hadn’t done before.
“Maybe we should teach him how to juggle,” Logan suggested seriously. Hannah wasn’t convinced it was a joke.
“Can pandas do that?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. You don’t know until you try, right?”
She shook her h
ead, leaning toward it being merely a joke. It would, however, make the time pass a lot faster than it currently was.
With Logan sitting so close to her and her shoulder occasionally brushing his, she was hyperaware of everything he did. She noticed everything about him, from the way he spun his pencil around his fingers when he was bored, to the way his foot tapped out a tune she couldn’t hear.
He made things confusing again. Because as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she did have feelings for Logan. She wished they would go away or that she could switch them off as easily as a light. But she couldn’t. They were there and flared angry red to get her attention.
“Do you want to say hello?” Logan asked in the silence that was threatening to stretch out.
“Hello to whom?”
“Mei-Ping, of course.”
Hannah’s heart beat a little faster. “You mean go inside the enclosure?”
“Yeah. Do you feel daring, Hannah Wilson?” He waggled his eyebrows at her, challenging her to take a walk on the wild side.
“How could I possibly say no?” Hannah asked. Getting closer to the panda and being able to see him in greater detail was what she lived for.
Logan stood. “Let’s go then.”
He led her through the door marked with a sign declaring the area ‘Off Limits’ and ‘Authorized Personnel Only’. There was also a caution sign, making sure nobody could accidently stumble across the panda.
“Stay close and don’t make any sudden movements,” Logan warned before they stepped inside. He secured the door and they walked through the small room to reach the next door. They entered this one without hesitation.
Hannah looked around at the enclosure, seeing it from the point of view of Mei-Ping for the first time. Rows of people were lined up on the other side, their cameras and faces all facing the panda in awestruck curiosity.
She tried to ignore them, putting the zoo’s visitors out of her mind as she focused on the animal himself. He was a magnificent creature from a distance. But up close he was a thing of beauty. His movements were slow but thought out, he could see them and was watching but not being too concerned about them. He knew his own strength and he knew he would be able to use it if he needed to.
Logan and Hannah remained at a respectable distance, neither wanting to scare or anger the animal. The last thing they wanted to do was cause him any distress.
But, still, seeing him so close was awe-inspiring as Hannah stared at the panda. She could see every emotion running through his eyes, including something that looked very much like happiness.
“Can you believe this?” Logan asked quietly.
“I know, it’s amazing.”
“Your career is only just beginning, imagine what else you’re going to experience before you’re really old.”
Hannah smiled. They were the perfect words for her to hear.
CHAPTER 9
Baby animals were adorable. Most of them, anyway. As Hannah stared into the eyes of the baby crocodile, she wondered how it was possible that even it was as cute as a button.
“It’s a pity they grow up and want to eat us,” she mused aloud. “I just want to cuddle this one for as long as I can.”
Alicia laughed, holding her baby up for a better look at his tummy. “I know, right? But look at those teeth, they could still do some damage even now.”
Hannah was trying really hard not to think about the animal’s teeth. The babies had been shunned by their mother and the situation was too dangerous to leave them in the enclosure. The four baby crocodiles were being hand raised behind the scenes until they were old enough to be reintroduced to the others.
“Do you mind feeding the last little biter yourself?” Alicia asked as she stood up. “I need to leave early today. Logan said it was okay for me to go.”
“Yeah, of course. Is everything okay?”
Alicia faltered as her eyes started to well with tears. She rubbed at them and looked up so they didn’t fall. “Uh, I need to find a place to live.”
Hannah knew it was none of her business but she pried further, unable to leave Alicia to go through whatever it was alone. “How come? I thought you liked living with your dad.”
“We had a fight about university. He thinks I need to get a job that pays and forget about going to college in the fall. He wants me to work at the plant where he does, says there are a few jobs going there.” Alicia shrugged like it was no big deal but Hannah knew better.
“So he threw you out?”
Alicia nodded and Hannah’s heart broke in two. She knew Alicia was studying the same course as she was in the fall and they shared the same dream about working with animals. To have someone ask her to crush that dream was horrible.
Hannah placed the baby crocodile in its home and hurried over to her friend, wrapping her up in a hug. The few tears Alicia had tried to hold onto were released as they slid down her cheeks.
“Do you think I’m being selfish?” Alicia whimpered.
“No, I don’t. Working now might get you some cash but going to university is your dream. It will earn you more money in the long run, if that’s what your dad is worried about.”
“He says my dream is silly and nobody will give me a job as a vet when I graduate.”
“Nobody’s dreams are silly and there will be plenty of opportunities in a few years. No career is guaranteed but I know you and you will make yours work.”
She sniffled. “Do you really think so?”
“I do.” Hannah wasn’t lying, she truly believed in her words. Alicia was amazing with the animals, any employer would be lucky to have her once she was qualified. She would put her heart and soul into the animals, it was something Hannah loved so much about her.
“I was thinking of going to the women’s shelter downtown, do you think they’d take me in?” The sadness and sorrow was evident in Alicia’s big eyes. She reminded Hannah of the puppies at the shelter.
“You can stay with me for a while,” Hannah blurted out. She hadn’t exactly thought it through or checked with Coco, but she knew her mother wouldn’t turn her away. When she introduced Billy to her, she had instantly fallen in love. Hannah suspected it would be the same with Alicia.
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” Hannah confirmed. “It’s only me and my mom, there will be plenty of room for you too. It’s not like you snore or anything, right?”
Alicia managed a smile. “I don’t think so. Thank you, Hannah. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“No need to mention it. Now, let’s finish with these crocs so we can pick up your stuff and move it together.”
The look of pure relief on Alicia’s face was enough for Hannah to know she was doing the right thing. Coco would understand too. Hopefully.
They settled the baby crocodiles into their beds for the night, well fed and comfortable. Maybe when they grew bigger and their jaws were large enough to bite them they wouldn’t be as cute. But until then, Hannah cooed over them like they were adorable little babies.
They finished their shift together and drove over to Alicia’s place. They had to wait for another twenty minutes for her dad to leave for work before they could go inside.
Hannah helped her friend pack up her room, shoving clothes into a suitcase and everything else into a trash bag for transportation. They couldn’t take everything, though, there was too much. Alicia took all the important items and hoped her father would keep the rest for her.
Alicia then followed Hannah back to her place, seeing Coco’s car in the driveway as they pulled up. “Let me speak to my mom first,” Hannah said.
She walked inside alone, picking up Billy to use as a shield for the conversation. Coco was unpredictable at times, completely surprising her at moments she wasn’t expecting.
“Hi, honey, how was your day?” Coco asked sweetly as she sliced vegetables for dinner. The first thing Hannah noticed was the big knife in her hand.
She held Billy just a little bit closer to her. “Good, how was yours?”
“Can’t complain. My feet are killing me, though.”
“How about I give you a foot rub later on?”
Coco stopped slicing. “What’s wrong?”
“Who said anything is wrong?”
“You don’t offer to rub my smelly feet for nothing.” Coco waited, holding the knife in her hand and using it to point. “Spill, what’s up?”
There was no use delaying any longer. “My friend Alicia needs a place to stay for a while. Her father threw her out of the house and she doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“I don’t know, Han. We’ve got enough on our plates without having to worry about someone else.”
“Please, Mom, she’s desperate. And I really think you’ll like her. She interns at the zoo too and is really nice. She won’t be any trouble.”
“That’s what you said about Billy and who picks up his accidents?” Coco went back to chopping and slicing, having made her point.
“Alicia is hardly a dog. She can look after herself.” Hannah plastered her best pleading look across her face, hoping it added to the argument. “She’s also outside with everything she owns in her car. Please, can she stay?”
Coco sighed but Hannah knew she was wearing her down. Her mother cared too much about people not to take in a homeless girl.
“Please, Mom?”
“Fine. But only for a while and you have to make her bed. I’ll set another place for dinner.”
Hannah raced over to her mother and gave her a hard hug, Billy trying to lick their faces at the same time. She placed the dog on the floor before hurrying back out to Alicia.
She delivered the good news. “We are good to go. Come in, I’ll show you where you can stay.”
Hannah showed Alicia to the spare room which doubled as Coco’s craft room. There were pieces of material, ribbon, and scrapbooking supplies everywhere but there was also a spare bed hidden in the sofa.
“It’s not exactly the most comfortable bed in the world, but this room is yours,” Hannah said. “For as long as you need it.”
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