Chapter 12 #2
With my back against the foyer table, I drink in the sight of him in all his post-run, sweaty glory. “I’m going to miss you hard, Ash. It makes me physically nauseous.”
Asher lifts his shoulder and wipes the sweat on his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m right there with you. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the days worrying about you. Are you sure you can’t shrink me down and hide me in your suitcase?”
“I wish. With my lack of experience, I’d probably turn you into a hedgehog.”
He shrugs. “At least I could still flex my quills and hurt anyone coming for you.”
My heart thumps an extra-heavy beat because he would. He would endure anything to protect me. And I would do the same for him without question.
When my vision blurs and tears begin to sting my eyes, I blink fast and change the subject. “Here, I have a present for you.”
I step to the side and let him see the large box. “If we don’t know how long it’ll take me to kick ass, I might miss your birthday. This is me thinking of you every day that I’m gone.”
Asher’s eyes light up as he takes in the big box. My bestie is too cute for his own good. He had a couple of good foster families during his years in the system, but no one ever spoiled him. I’ve made it my life’s mission to show him each and every day that he is special and loved beyond measure.
His shaggy hair is chaotic and dark with sweat along his hairline as he rushes toward the box. The past week and a half has been a lot for both of us.
Normally, he’s a ball of ADHD neurodivergent chaos and pisses people off more often than not. Lately, he’s been too serious. He’s hurt and worried, and because I love him to bits, I want his crazy self to find its way back.
I point to the wrapped box. “Open your present.”
His mouth falls open as he feigns shock. “What? For me?”
I giggle. “Just open it… but be careful. It’s fragile.”
He tenses with his hands on both ends of the box and looks at me with a mischievous smile. “So, I shouldn’t shake it?”
I throw out my hands. “No! You definitely should not shake it.”
He gently runs a hand over the wrapping paper. “I love it, Pops. Thanks. But I’d rather wait and open it when you’re home and we can celebrate together.”
“No can do. This present has an expiration date. Open it, and we’ll still celebrate when I get back. I promise.”
“Fine. That way I get two parties. Yay me.”
I chuckle. What a goofball.
Ripping off the paper like a four-year-old on Christmas morning, he’s soon pulling open the box inside.
When the four flaps are pulled back, two hyper-excited chihuahuas pop up on their back feet to greet him.
He blinks at me, confused. “You got me two dogs?”
I hold up a finger to pause his tailspin. “I got us two dogs. I know how much you always wanted a dog growing up, and I know we never had an extra nickel to rub together to afford one. Well, now we do. I’ve named them, too.”
He arches a brow. “You named my birthday present puppers?”
I grin. “The short-haired brown one is Nobuddy and the little fawn with the long hair is Somebuddy. It’s a tribute to how far we’ve come. We started out on our own with nobody, but now we have somebody. And the cutest part is that you always call dogs ‘buddy’, so that works too.”
He chuckles. “Okay, that’s cute.”
“And they have a story like ours. When I visited Vale’s office yesterday, he told me about it, and I knew it was meant to be.”
“Okay, I’m with you. What’s their story?”
“Well, their mom, Lizzy McAllison was the town eccentric who had a ton of money and spent it all on the dozens of dogs she kept in her mansion on the hill. She died a couple of weeks ago, and Vale said that while her dogs are set for life, they need homes.”
I hand him the registration card I got at the lawyer’s office when I picked them up an hour ago.
“Lizzy left all proceeds of her estate to Pete’s Mercantile and the Paws & Whiskers vet clinic.
For the lifespans of her furry children, they are taken care of.
The only stipulation is that they go to someone who will love them. ”
Asher blinks at me, and I don’t miss how his eyes glass up. “Well, there’s no problem there. We will love them. We know what it’s like to lose our family and be sad and alone.”
I reach over and squeeze his hand. “And we know what finding our people can mean in that moment.”
He laughs and wipes his eyes with his sleeve. “Yeah, we do. Forever and always.”
I pat his hand and straighten. “And now you will have these two little dudes to keep you company. They’re likely missing their mommy and the other dogs, so will need extra love while they settle into our new home.”
Asher takes another look at the sweet pups blinking up at him with bulbous brown eyes. He scoops both of them out of the box and cuddles them against his chest, dropping his head so they can rub noses. “We can do that, can’t we, buddies? Look how cute you are.”
Nobuddy wriggles, squirming to lick both Asher and Somebuddy. “Is she your girlfriend or your sister, bud?”
Nobuddy’s tail is wagging so hard Asher has to put them down. The pups scramble around, circling Asher’s feet a couple of times.
“See, they already love you,” I say, relieved.
“And we love you, too,” Asher says in that silly voice that people use when talking with babies and animals. “Yeah, we do. We love our little puppers.”
I chuckle at all the puppy cuteness. “I picked out a rhinestone collar and a hot pink leash for her, and a black, studded manly number for him, but you can get them something different, if you want. I also brought a little tupper of bones from Pete’s butcher counter for them to enjoy as part of the birthday celebration. ”
Asher blinks at me as his expression lights up. “We can get more than their food on their tab?”
I nod. “You can get food, treats, beds, toys, anything you want, and it’ll all be covered by Lizzy’s estate. I figure if Lizzie is watching over them—and now that I’m a spirit witch I’m sure that’s a possibility—she will be thrilled to know we’re putting their inheritance to good use.”
Asher closes the distance between us and hugs me, spinning me in his arms, and making me squeal. “Thank you, Poppy. I love them. We will give them the best home evah!”
Asher’s joy is all the thanks I need.
After losing his parents when he was a little boy, part of Asher’s soul got stuck being a kid. Now, even while I’m gone, he won’t be alone.
“Long live the gathering of the lost and abandoned.”
He eases back from our hug and presses a fist to the center of his chest. “This is the way.”