by C. Coal
* * *
They talked for hours that night. And the next day and the next and the next after that.
And Sarah made sure she'd never ever forget his number. She wrote it on her fridge, saved it in her phone, e-mailed it to herself, and wrote it in her journal. Just in case.
Because Leo was a keeper and she wasn't going to ruin this second, or third, chance she'd been given.
Puppy Love Cupid's Rescue
Becky walked through the dog shelter, her stomach clenched in pain as she looked at all the sad faces of the dogs in their cages. She could barely hear the squeaking of her shoes on the cold concrete over the sound of the hundreds of barking, crying dogs.
She wanted to fling open each and every metal gate and release the dogs from their confinement.
A little beagle stood on its hind legs, its feet sticking through the gaps in the metal of its cage, and whined at her, its tail begging her to choose it.
In the next cage, a large Doberman with a graying muzzle barked incessantly.
Becky steeled her heart against them. She'd love to adopt each and every one, but it just wasn't possible. She only had room for one dog and she wanted to find the right dog for her. A dog that would enjoy taking long walks, be big enough she didn't constantly worry about stepping on it, and be mellow enough to handle living in a busy apartment complex.
She shook her head, trying to dispel the weird scent combination of disinfectant, fresh poop, and pee that lingered in the air.
She didn't want to see this. All these sad dogs, alone, scared, just longing for one person to take them home and love them.
She wanted to be anywhere else but here. But she wanted a dog, too. A rescue that she could give a second chance just like her adoptive parents had done for her.
She paused outside the cage of a golden retriever—it was full-grown and raised its head at her approach, its soft brown eyes studying her as she stood outside its cage. She sighed and shook her head. No. If she was honest with herself, she wanted a younger dog. Maybe even a puppy.
She kept walking and walking and walking past cage after cage filled with hopeful dogs.
And then there it was. The perfect dog for Becky. In the last kennel, crouched in the corner, cringing at every loud noise, sat a beautiful St. Bernard puppy with black freckles on her muzzle and big black eyes begging Becky to save her and take her home.
"Come here, sweetie." Becky reached through the holes in the cage, but the puppy stayed in the corner, shaking.
The poor thing was too scared to move.
Becky called to a staff member at the end of the hallway. She didn't want to leave the pup's side, not for a moment.
He was a young man, tall and skinny, and he walked past the rows of cages without any sign that he noticed all the dogs barking and crying. He walked slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Becky wanted to grab him and drag him down the hall, but she waited patiently.
When he reached the cage, he shoved his hands into his pockets and stared in at the pup. The scent of cigarettes hung in the air around him. "Figured you'd go for Cupid. Everyone does. But she's not available for adoption yet. Just came in yesterday. Have to give the owner a chance to claim her."
"Cupid?"
"That was the name on her collar."
Becky looked back at the frightened little pup—well, little for a St. Bernard, she was probably about fifty pounds—and wondered why on earth someone had named her Cupid.
No denying that was her name, though. She'd crept forward when Becky said her name and now stood next to the door of the cage, looking back and forth between the man and Becky, her tail swaying gently back and forth.
"When can I adopt her?"
He shrugged. "Probly 'bout a week. She's micro-chipped, but the number listed for the owner is disconnected. Found her wandering in a park a few blocks from here. Owner probably didn't know what to do when she kept growing and let her go."
Becky couldn't imagine someone doing that to such a sweet little creature. "Can I take her to one of the play rooms? Spend some time with her?"
The guy shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
Once they were in the blessedly quiet white-washed, glassed-in playroom, the puppy finally relaxed, climbing all over Becky's lap and licking her face with excited puppy kisses. Becky laughed, fending off the kiss attack as best she could.
When she rubbed the pup's ears, the pup let out a deep contented sigh and leaned into her hand until Becky was scared she'd fall over.
Becky tried throwing a ball for the pup, but all the pup wanted was to curl up in Becky's lap.
An hour later, the guy finally kicked them out. Becky walked along beside him as he dragged the pup back to her cage. She fought him the whole way, trying to brace her legs on the slick concrete.
"We've got other dogs who need homes, ya know," the guy said as he closed the cage door.
"I know. But…Cupid's the dog I want."
The guy shrugged. "No guarantee the owner won't come for her."
Cupid jumped against the metal door of the cage and cried. Becky scratched Cupid's nose. "I know. But she's the one I want."
* * *
As soon as she was done with work the next day, Becky went back to the shelter and spent an hour in the playroom with Cupid. She almost cried when she saw how excited the pup was to see her. Cupid ran around the playroom in crazy circles until she finally collapsed at Becky's feet, her big pink tongue lolling out of her mouth as she stared up at Becky with adoring eyes.
Becky looked at the older woman who was working the shelter. "You sure I can't take her home with me?"
The woman shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie. But we have to give each dog's owner a chance first."
Becky rubbed Cupid's belly as she wondered what kind of person could lose a dog this cute and not even try to find it.
* * *
The next day she went back again. She stayed until closing, sitting in the playroom with Cupid for three hours.
Cupid slept with her head pillowed against Becky's leg as Becky read a work report.
Becky imagined what it would be like once she took Cupid home. They'd go for walks in the park each morning and play in the courtyard every night when she got home from work. She'd buy Cupid her very own doggie bed that she could sleep in right next to Becky's bed. (Although Becky secretly hoped that Cupid would want to sleep curled up at the foot of the bed, her head resting on Becky's feet instead.)
When it came time to leave, Cupid didn't want to go back to her cage. She backed into the far corner of the playroom and refused to budge.
Becky looked at the kindly older woman and put her palms together in front of her mouth, pleading with the woman. "Please, let me take her home."
The woman shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie. But I can't. Not yet. But you keep comin', you'll get to take her home eventually. Now go. Shoo."
Becky trudged out the doors and drove home in a fog, thinking about Cupid alone in her cage in the midst of all those barking, crying dogs.
* * *
The next day she brought Cupid a stuffed hippo that made weird grunting noises. The pup loved it. She immediately grabbed it and wouldn't let go, her small jaws working to squeeze the hippo until it grunted over and over again.
When the young man from the first day came to escort Cupid back to her cage, he said she couldn't keep the toy with her.
It broke Becky's heart to take it away from Cupid. She pried the pup's jaws open and hid the toy behind her back while Cupid watched her wide-eyed, her tail wagging, waiting for Becky to give it back to her.
"Tomorrow, sweetie. Tomorrow."
She didn't even bother asking the man if she could take Cupid home with her. She knew what he'd say.
* * *
The next day, Becky raced to the shelter immediately after work. She hadn't slept at all the night before. She kept having nightmares that she'd show up at the shelter and find that Cupid was gone. That her owner had claimed her or they'd le
t someone else adopt her while Becky was at work.
When she arrived, the kindly older lady was at the front desk and she looked frazzled. A man stood in front of her, an older Lab asleep at his feet. "Please. You have to take him. We're going to get evicted if I still have him in the apartment tomorrow."
The woman bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I am, but we don't have any room right now."
"Please," the man begged. He gripped the countertop so tight his knuckles turned white.
Becky stepped forward. "You could let me take Cupid home tonight. That'd free up a space. It's only one day early."
The woman looked at her and back at the man.
"Please," Becky begged, praying that the woman would say yes.
"Please," the man echoed.
The woman chewed on the inside of her cheek.
"I promise I'll take such good care of her."
"What if the owner comes for her?"
Becky met the woman's eyes. "It's been six days. If this was your dog would you go six days without checking every single shelter in a hundred-mile radius?"
"No." The woman pursed her lips and then nodded. "Okay. Fine. You can have her today."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Becky hugged the woman.
"But remember. If the owner comes for her, you're going to have to give her back."
Becky didn't care. She knew that wasn't going to happen.
* * *
When it came time to leave the shelter, Cupid dug in her heels and refused to leave. Fortunately, she was still just small enough that Becky was able to scoop her up and carry her out to the car.
"It's okay, sweetie. I know you're scared. But I'm going to take you home with me now and I'll never ever lose you. I promise."
She settled Cupid into the back of her SUV—she'd taken out the back seats so the entire back of the vehicle was devoted to Cupid—and gave her the hippo to chew on, but Cupid didn't want the toy. She stood the whole time, her eyes wide open as she watched everything, her head resting on Becky's shoulder as they drove the short distance to the apartment.
Once home, Cupid wouldn't settle. She cried, but didn't want to go outside, and each time she laid down, something startled her so she jumped back up again—a car passing by, a bird crying, a dog barking, some kid screaming.
Finally, Becky curled up on the floor next to her with a blanket and pillow.
"You need a bath, sweetie." She wrinkled her nose. Cupid smelled sour, like the metal of her cage had somehow seeped into her very pores.
Cupid licked her nose and Becky laughed. "Thank you, sweetie."
Cupid let out a deep sigh and rested her nose against Becky's hand. Becky pet her head with her other hand. "It's okay, sweetie. You're safe now."
Slowly, slowly, Cupid relaxed, her eyes drooping closed until she finally let out a small sigh and fell asleep, snoring softly.
Becky sighed. She didn't know how many nights she'd be sleeping on the floor with a puppy's nose nudged against her palm, but however many nights it took, she'd do it.
She was never going to let the pup down. She'd do everything in her power to protect her from any further harm.
* * *
The next day was a Saturday so Becky didn't have to work. She spent the entire day with Cupid. They played with all the toys Becky had bought her—a squeaky ball, a rubber bone, a hard plastic dinosaur, and, of course, the hippo, which was still the pup's favorite.
They also took a walk in the park, although Cupid kept so close to Becky that Becky almost tripped more than once.
It was a perfect day. The first of many, Becky was sure of it.
* * *
That night, Becky curled up on the floor next to Cupid once more. Cupid snuggled up against Becky's belly and went to sleep instantly; her soft snores filled the room as her little puppy chest rose and fell with each breath. Becky stayed awake watching her, smiling to herself at how blessed she was to have found such a perfect little puppy.
* * *
When Becky's phone rang the next day, she thought nothing of it. "Hello, Becky Crawford."
"Um, yes, Ms. Crawford?"
"Mmhm." Becky glanced at the number on the caller ID but didn't recognize it.
"This is Joanie at the Park Place Animal Shelter?"
"Yes?"
"Well, Ms. Crawford, I have to say, we're in a bit of a pickle here…See, Sarah, our night assistant, made a mistake."
Becky felt like she couldn't breathe. "What kind of mistake?"
"Well…you see, we're supposed to hold dogs for at least seven days to see if their owners claim them."
"Yeah."
"Well, if the dog is microchipped we're supposed to hold it for ten days. Sarah didn't know that."
Becky watched Cupid pounce on her hippo and roll around with it, the hippo grunting with each bite of Cupid's little puppy jaws. "Yes. And?"
Joanie sighed. "Well…the owner's here. And he's absolutely frantic to have her back."
"Where was he the first week she was missing?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone and Becky felt like she was back in Catholic school with Sister Francis staring her down for using the Lord's name in vain.
"Ms. Crawford. The dog is technically his. I can't speak to why he didn't contact us sooner, but the fact is he has now and we have a legal obligation to return the dog to him. So I'm going to have to ask that you bring the dog back here immediately."
Becky stared at Cupid who was watching her, head pillowed on the hippo's tummy. "What if I refuse?"
Becky could just picture the other woman's frown. "Please don't do that, Ms. Crawford. We'd have to call the authorities and report you for theft. None of us want that do we?"
"But what kind of owner just abandons a cute puppy like this? Are you sure she should go back to him? Who's to say he won't lose her again? Or worse?"
There was silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Joanie spoke again. "Ms. Crawford, please bring the puppy back immediately. We're open for another three hours and I'm sure the puppy's owner would like to get her home as soon as possible."
Becky hung up the phone and sat down on the floor next to Cupid. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched Cupid sleep, her little puppy legs kicking as she dreamt some happy puppy dream.
* * *
Becky thought about ignoring the call. She'd just keep Cupid and see if the original owner really did care enough to call the authorities. She knew, she just knew, that she had to be a better puppy parent than he had been.
He'd lost her, hadn't he? And then hadn't done anything to find her for days on end. Honestly, how hard was it to call around to the shelters in the area and ask about your puppy? How hard was it to keep your phone number updated with the microchip company?
If he'd really loved Cupid, he would've looked for her sooner.
If he'd really, really loved her, he would've never lost her in the first place.
But Becky had never done anything illegal in her entire life and she didn't want to start now. So, even though it broke her heart into teeny tiny pieces, she packed up all of Cupid's things—her toys, her bed, her cute little water bowl with pink hearts all around the edge—and took her back to the shelter.
The minute they pulled into the parking lot, Cupid started shaking. She backed into the corner and whined softly.
"Come on, sweetie. Please don't make this harder than it has to be." Becky tried to lure her to the back door with a treat, but Cupid refused to budge.
Becky sat on the tailgate, her legs dangling out of the vehicle, and waited. She watched people walking in and out of the shelter. Most arrived empty-handed and left empty-handed, too.
She knew there were hundreds of dogs inside, all in need of a home. Cupid had someone who wanted her, those other dogs didn't. Becky could find another dog.
But Becky didn't want any other dog. She wanted Cupid.
Cupid crawled closer, snuffling at Becky's hand for the treat. Becky let her eat i
t and then scooped her up. Cupid tried to climb over Becky's shoulder and escape, but Becky held her close.
"I'm sorry, sweetie."
Cupid cried and fought and cried some more, but Becky eventually managed to stumble her way through the front door of the shelter.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" The young girl at the desk stared at her, a slight expression of disapproval on her face. Probably wondering who would ever surrender such an adorable puppy to a shelter.
Becky was crying, the tears streaking down her face uncontrolled as she struggled to keep hold of Cupid. "I got a call. Her original owner is here to claim her."
"Oh, yes, of course. Right. Come this way." The girl's expression softened as she led Becky down a hallway to one of the playrooms. "Here you go. I'll be right back with the owner."
Becky didn't even bother to thank her, she just collapsed to the floor and held a shaking, crying Cupid on her lap. "It'll be okay, sweetie. It will. Your owner's here for you now. He'll take good care of you."
Cupid burrowed under Becky's arm, quivering in fear.
Becky shook her head. She couldn't believe she was actually having to give Cupid back to her horrible, awful, neglectful owner.
She wasn't going to do it. She'd keep her. She'd make the guy feel so bad that he'd see that Cupid was better off with her and he'd let her go.
* * *
Five minutes later, the girl from the front desk returned. She'd barely opened the door before a tall man pushed her aside. "Cupid! There you are girl. Oh, I've missed you so much."
He was wearing a nice suit—not custom, but not off the rack at JC Penney either—but he didn't hesitate a moment to drop onto the floor and fling open his arms. He smiled, his teeth perfect and white, his eyes a soft, warm brown, his entire face shining with relief.
Cupid wiggled out of Becky's lap and gave a happy puppy yip. She bounded across the room and into his lap, almost knocking him over.