Page 4 of Christmas Shelter

"I am," Patricia concludes without saying anything more.

The cardiologist says goodbye to all the animals, cage by cage, wishes them happy holidays, and puts on the coat she had set aside as they prepare to leave. As soon as Carlota opens the main door, they realize that despite less than an hour having passed, the storm has intensified so much they can't see anything. There's a thick fog accompanied by those relentless snowflakes, and when Patricia decides to take a step, her foot sinks in, making it clear she'll need divine intervention to get out of there.

"Damn," she mutters, grimacing.

"I told you," Carlota says, putting her hand up as a visor to try to see anything in front of her.

"Let's go back inside," Patricia asks resignedly. "Maybe we can try again later."

They both go back inside, shake off the snow, and remove their coats. Patricia remains standing because she doesn't know what to do, she has no desire to interact with her old acquaintance. What she wants is to be on her way to Gibraltar, stop at a gas station in the middle of nowhere to rest and eat a vending machine sandwich, one of those with a long list of ingredients, mostly chemicals, but which would taste like glory to her. That's what Patricia desires, although for some strange reason, she also has a feeling of tranquility being there, which she attributes to being surrounded by animals, which is always comforting for her.

"Do you like it with milk?" Carlota asks, and seeing her companion's confused look, she lifts a mug and points to the coffee maker.

"Yes, more milk than coffee, please."

While Carlota is busy preparing the hot drinks, Patricia looks around everything again with genuine interest until she notices something she had overlooked; there's a folding bed in a corner and next to it, a plastic chair with blankets and what appears to be a sleeping bag, and on the floor, a large backpack.

"Do you sleep here?" the cardiologist suddenly asks.

Carlota, who already has the coffees ready, approaches her and hands her a mug.

"I didn't want to leave them alone. The ones who stayed are skittish, and Melcocha," she points to one of the dogs,"is sick. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to him while I'm warm and safe in my house."

Patricia's heart does a strange jump, and she doesn't understand why.

"I think I'd do the same in your position," the cardiologist concludes.

The two veterinarians fall silent, enjoying their coffee with milk that's warming them up, as the few seconds they spent outside have chilled them. Both are aware that there's a conversation floating in the air that neither wants to address, but the past has returned, and they can't avoid it.

Chapter 4

Charlotte sneaks glances at Patricia, who stands by the window, her gaze fixed on the thick curtain of snow that keeps falling as if she hopes it might suddenly stop, melt, and let her retrieve her vehicle to escape. The volunteer is still processing her former college classmate's presence at the shelter—she's the last person she would have expected to find on a day like today and definitely the last one she'd want to be stranded with, because that's exactly what they are, even though Patricia refuses to accept it.

"If someone's waiting for you somewhere, you should call to let them know. I don't think you'll make it tonight," Charlotte suggests before finishing her coffee.

Patricia slowly turns her neck and looks at her in horror, though Charlotte is the one who's really scared, having felt like she was sharing the shelter with a possessed doll for a few seconds.

"I might not make it to where I was going, but I'm definitely returning home as soon as this stops," Patricia states dryly.

Charlotte nods in agreement and turns around to check if the dog Patricia brought in is still calm, unlike its rescuer.

"Why are you patronizing me?" Patricia snaps, and Charlotte sighs.

"I'm not patronizing you, but I can't do anything if you refuse to see what's obvious," she says, pointing at the window.

"And what's so obvious, may I ask?" Patricia demands, growing more agitated.

Charlotte presses her lips together in resignation before answering because she's just realized that Patricia isn't just frustrated because the weather and that abandoned dog ruined her plans—she's furious about being locked up with her specifically, because it's clear that Patricia is angry.

"It's not my fault you're stuck here," Charlotte says, "besides, you should be grateful you found shelter. Imagine if the refuge had been closed."

"I'm not going to thank you if that's what you're waiting for," Patricia wants to continue her senseless attack but stops when the dog gets up and sits beside her, throwing her off balance.

Charlotte looks at them and, despite the awkward situation, smiles at seeing the connection between her former classmate and the animal she rescued.

"Looks like he likes you," she says, trying to lighten the mood.

Patricia gives her a hard look, but then glances at the dog and somehow calms down a bit and decides to use this moment to take out her phone and send a voice note toher friends in Gibraltar to explain what happened. While Patricia records the note, she paces around the small room trying to calm her nerves and avoiding tripping over the dog, who follows her everywhere.

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