Page 5 of Brighton

I promised myself if I didn’t go too far over budget on the new place, that I’d treat myself to an annual zoo pass. I’d always wanted a pet, but my parents had every reason imaginable to give me as to why it would be a bad decision. Long story short,theydidn’t want pets. Too messy, too expensive, too much work. Well, so was I when I was young, yet they trained me not to be so who’s to say I couldn’t have done the same with a dog or cat if given a chance?Hmm, maybe I should get a cat now.

“One annual pass, please,” I handed the woman in the plexiglass stall my debit card. She ran it, gave me the receipt and the membership packet then proceeded to recite the rules. I thanked her and entered the park, my eyes taking it in as my heart clenched.Well done, Brighton.

I’d been here on field trips in grade school but that was always a chaotic mess of screaming and teachers wrangling kids that sucked the fun from it. They had us on a tight schedule and we barely had a few brief minutes at each enclosure. As an adult, I couldn’t wait to come back and spend as much uninterrupted time as I could with each animal. Even if that meant only doing a section of the park per visit it was doable, given I had unlimited access now.

I unfolded the map and studied it, laying out my path for the day. It was cold and many of the warm climate animals would be hibernating or tucked inside their caves. But the otters were one of my favorites and according to this map they had an inside tank where they spent the winter months which was fully on display. With that decision made, I walked in that direction but made a few stops along the way.

This was the perfect Saturday to go. With Christmas near and the snow here, the families were focused elsewhere. It wasn’t noisy or crowed—it was nearly perfect in my eyes. The polar bears were out rolling around, having the time of their life. I stopped to watch and took some photos and a video to reflect on later. It was as though they put on a special show just for me. Sea lions swam in and out, though while outside they stayed in deeper water where it was warmer. I’m sure as the temps dropped lower, they’d spend less time in the shallow areas of the water.

“Ah, otters. There you are.” I rounded the tank and stepped inside where the bleachers were. On weekdays, the staff stood at the front and gave their spiel to the swarm of visiting students. Today, it was me and one other. Nice and quiet. Though when I glanced back at the other visitor and our gazes met, something familiar hit. And then it dawned on me.

“Edward?”

“How do you know my name?” He cocked his head to the side much as a dog would and I had to hide my grin at noticing that. “You’re that boy.”

“Boy?” I nearly argued I was a man then remembered what Mario shared about his lifestyle. “Brighton.”

“Brighton. Did Stevie tell you my name?” His posture stiffened and I wasn’t sure what was going through his head. Had he thought I lied to him that day he brought the gift?

“No, Mario did.” He did the head turn again. “Ah, Mario. I only met him briefly. How’s the apartment?”

“Coming along, I have furniture now.” I smiled, far too proud of myself for all I’d accomplished in such a short time. “I have your present. I’ve been meaning to give it back, but I didn’t know how to reach you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Keep it.”

“No, sir, that would be wrong. It’s not meant for me.”

“Well, donate it then. Maybe toToys for Tots, a child would enjoy it.” He sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Sorry, I don’t mean to bring the mood down.”

I took a seat near the front but close enough to chat while we watched the otters play. “Animals have a way of bringing my spirits up.” I was mesmerized by their antics, swimming around one another. Occasionally reaching the surface and nosing the floating ball. “So childlike and filled with wonder.”

“I have a dog.”

I grinned at his random admission. “Do you? What kind?”

“Sorry, I’m not normally nervous nor do I just blurt things out. But yes, I just got him. He’s a senior yellow lab named Simon.” The pride in his voice held me captive and I wished to learn all I could of his new friend.

“I love that name. Senior, you say. It’s so hard for shelters to place the older pets and it makes me sad.” What’s not to love about them? Already housebroken and through their destructive phases. They sounded perfect to me and an ideal first pet.

“Yes. I volunteer at Ms. Kitty’s Shelter, and I watched family after family pass him by. When I was there last it just clicked—Simon was meant for me.” His demeanor shifted with his exuberance and the aforementioned dimple reappeared.

“Ms. Kitty’s? I think I passed it the other day when I ordered my furniture. What was the name of that store?” I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten already.

Edward chuckled. “Fulton Fine Furnishings.”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“Did you have a good experience there?” he asked. I wondered if he, too, was shopping for new furniture and asking for a recommendation.

“I did, though it threw me off when I walked in and the salespeople converged on me like vultures.” I shivered at the memory, nearly left right then.

“Hmm, I’ll have to look into that.” My turn to cock my head at his words. He stood and walked over to me, his hand held out in gesture. “Edward Fulton, nice to meet you.”

My eyes nearly popped out of my skull.Open mouth, insert foot, Brighton. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. They were really nice, though.”

He barked out another laugh as we shook hands. “Customer experience is a key factor to running a successful business. My employees do earn commission, but they also have a base salary and shouldn’t be converging like zombies.”

“Oh.” What else could I say? Hopefully I’d not gotten anyone in trouble.

---