Page 65 of Mending Scars

“Sure,” I replied, then hesitated. “Wait, she’s not going to piss on me or anything, right?”

The young worker giggled as she took out a set of keys. “She shouldn’t. We take the puppies out to relieve themselves every hour since they are still potty-training, and I took them out right before you got here.”

I nodded. “All right, but if she pees on me, I’m sending you the dry cleaning bill,” I joked.

Becca stuck one of the keys in a lock on the right side of the glass box that held the Chihuahua. “Come here, cutie.” She baby-talked as the puppy bounded to her excitedly.

She turned around, puppy in hand, and extended her arms out toward me. “Here you go.”

I awkwardly grabbed the pup and held her in my hands. She was wagging her tail so hard that her whole body shook with her excitement. She wiggled and stretched in my grasp, trying to get closer to me, so I pulled her against my chest so I wouldn’t drop her.

“She likes you,” Becca cooed as the tiny dog licked my chin and whined in excitement.

“Okay, okay, stop.” I laughed, pulling my face out of reach of the pup’s searching tongue.

“So, what do you think?” Becca inquired expectantly.

I looked at the squirming animal in my hands, whose tongue was now hanging out as she panted at me. I chuckled. “I’ll take her.”

I calculated that I would have maybe ten minutes to spare getting everything ready for Kaiya’s birthday. I planned to surprise her with the puppy, then take her to meet Kamden and Nori at her favorite restaurant for dinner.

Becca, being the expert salesperson she was, talked me into buying almost one of everything in the dog section for Kaiya’s new puppy: leash, collar, crate, food and water bowls, puppy food, shampoo, bed; you name it, I bought it.

I wasn’t good at the romantic boyfriend thing, but I was trying my best to make Kaiya’s birthday special. I wanted the puppy to be a complete surprise, so I got a cardboard gift box, poked some holes in the top, put the dog inside, closed it, and slipped a pink bow around it.

Becca had given me a puppy starter kit that had more essentials that we would apparently need for our new addition. I put everything I had bought and arranged it in the puppy’s bed before hiding it in my closet.

About fifteen minutes before Kaiya usually got home, the puppy started whining and scratching inside the box. I decided to hold the box in my lap on the couch, hoping that would silence the puppy’s cries.

The pup still whimpered, so I tried talking to her to calm her down. “Shhh, little one. It’s okay. Just a few more minutes.”

Thankfully, my plan worked, and Kaiya’s present cooperated with me. “Good girl. Mommy will be home soon.”

When I heard Kaiya twisting her key in the door, I stood with her present in hand. Her eyes immediately found me as she walked in. “Hey, baby.”

I walked toward her. “Happy birthday, Warrior.” I presented the gift to her. “I got something for you.”

Kaiya smiled sweetly as she took the box. “Ryker, you shouldn’t have. The flowers at work were enough, and I know you planned something with Nori.”

I smirked. “Just open it, babe.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and took the box over to the dining room table. She slipped the bow off and neatly laid it down before removing the top. I heard her gasp right before she squealed, “Oh my God, Ryker!”

I could see the puppy’s head bobbing as it tried to jump out of the box. Kaiya scooped her up and hugged her to her chest as she twirled around and faced me. “She’s precious!” The smile she had lit up her whole face, and caused a matching one to form on mine.

“You like her?” I asked.

Kaiya gave me a look of disbelief. “Like her? I love her!” She walked over to me and wrapped her free arm around my neck, squeezing me tightly to her. “She’s adorable. By far, the best birthday present ever!”

That’s what I was hoping for.

“What are you going to name her?” I asked as Kaiya pulled away.

Kaiya held the puppy out in front of her and looked her over for several seconds. “Brownie.”

I snorted. “Brownie?”

Kaiya hadn’t taken her eyes off the puppy. “Yes, Brownie. Look at her—her fur is the same color as a brownie.”

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