Page 74 of An Introvert's Guide to Life and Love
“It’s socks.”
“Adorable.” I look around and notice a few gifts scattered around the dessert table, which is already full of plates, cups, and cake. “Let me grab something from inside.”
Without hesitation, Daniel follows me through the sunroom and into the dark, bare living room.
He lets out a low whistle. “Sure looks different than the last time I was here. Did I mention that I’m impressed, Rosen?”
Thank goodness the dark room hides the furious blush that colors my cheeks. What is it about him using my last name that gets to me?
“Yep, once or twice.” I try to keep my voice casual as he follows me down the hall. I flip on the light in one of the bedrooms and grab the small stepladder I’d left in there the other day. “There’s no furniture in the house, but I think this should be big enough for people to put a few gifts on.”
“Good thinking.”
As we head back down the hall, a distinct bark comes from behind the closed door of the other bedroom.
Daniel freezes. “What was that?”
“Oh, uh…” The dog barks again, a small, questioning sound. Something fiercely maternal rises up in me, and I absolutely have to check on him before we go back outside. “It’s Gramps’s present.”
“You got him a dog?” Daniel sounds dumbfounded.
“Um. Yeah. It’s a whole thing. We discussed it first. Kind of.” I lean the stepladder against the wall, then skirt around Daniel to the closed door. “I should probably check on him while we’re here.”
Curiously, Daniel pokes his head over my shoulder as I open the door.
“Hey, buddy,” I croon, bending down and holding out one hand so the dog can smell me. I have no idea how to act around dogs. He seems okay, though—his tail wags so hard it makes his whole butt move side to side. “It’s almost time for your big debut. You doing okay in here?”
“He’s a cutie, ain’t he?” Daniel offers the dog a hand, too, and then scratches behind his ears. “What kind of dog is he?”
“I don’t know, but he’s absolutely perfect.” Finding this dogearlier today felt truly meant to be. Amanda and I walked through one shelter full of Chihuahuas and pit bull mixes—and don’t get me wrong, they were sweet—but none of them felt like the right dog for Gramps. And then the second place we tried, Happy Paws, only had three dogs: a Lab mix, a cross between a Chihuahua and a Yorkie, and this fellow. My heart nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him, because he’s the spitting image of Waldo. He’s some kind of terrier mix, with wiry, sandy-colored hair, floppy ears, shiny black eyes, and the friendliest pink tongue I’ve ever seen.
“This one,” I’d said immediately to Amanda.
“He is the cutest!” she’d agreed. “And he does look like the picture.”
I’d taken a picture of Gramps’s photograph to use as a reference.
“Don’t you want to play with them all a bit first?” the volunteer had asked, surprised.
“No. It’s this one. He’s perfect. It is a he, right?”
“Yes. His name is Rex.”
“Waldo,” I whispered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” I said, and knelt down to introduce myself to Gramps’s new best friend.
The rest of the afternoon had been a blur of acquiring all the necessary dog equipment at the pet store—Amanda had texted me a list before she headed home to prepare for her shift: food, a bed, toys, a collar, and a leash—and then taking him on a chaotic walk around my neighborhood to make sure he went potty before I put him in the back room. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him all day, hoping he was okay all alone. Now, giddy relief flutters through me: He is, in fact, just fine, and it’s almost time for him to meet Gramps.
“You know,” Daniel says, now rubbing the dog’s belly, “somepeople would say it’s a bit… ill advised to get someone a dog for their birthday.”
“And other people would say it’s ill advised to let a dog lover go his entire adult life without ever having a dog.” I wait to see if he’ll challenge me again, but he just grins.
“I like you, Rosen.” He walks past me and grabs the stepladder on his way down the hall. “Just let him open my socks first, all right? Before your gift ruins him for everyone else’s.”
I whisper goodbye to Rex/Waldo and follow Daniel, trying not to read into what he said. But still,I like you, Rosenreplays in my head more times than I care to admit.
