10. Thomas
10
THOMAS
S trolling through the village with Marnie and Winnie, Thomas felt at ease. When he was with his sister and her family, he felt safe and protected, loved and secure. It was like nothing could get to him if they were with him like they were his lucky charms. Bligh was on his way and would join them soon, but he’d had to take Wendy back home because she’d come out with two different shoes on. Bligh said he’d left her to get ready for two minutes while he’d put some bird food out, and then they’d all left the house together. However, for some reason, Wendy had ended up putting on one blue trainer and one pink trainer and when she’d realised, she’d started to cry. She’d said her day would be ruined so Bligh had picked her up and jogged home with her to rectify the problem before it escalated. Thomas was constantly impressed by how patient Bligh was and how he’d do anything for his family.
As they passed the harbour, Thomas glanced across the water and spotted a familiar figure. She was wearing a white baseball cap, but he was certain it was Lena from the set of her chin and the way she carried herself like she was trying to be confident but there was something wary about her. Her expression suggested she was lost in thought and he wondered what was on her mind. When she looked in his direction, he glanced away, suddenly shy and not knowing how to behave. Should he wave? Smile? Give her a thumbs up? None of them seemed right for the woman he’d found occupying his thoughts far more than he should have allowed. Because she had been on his mind. Try as he might to stop thinking about her, he found himself wondering if she liked ice cream or preferred sorbet, if she enjoyed swimming, walking or both, if she liked dogs or cats or would happily fill her home with any animals in need. For some reason, Lena had got to him and he didn’t know how to deal with his feelings.
‘Ooh…’ Marnie said as she rubbed her belly.
‘What is it?’ he asked. His sister had been experiencing more twinges over the past few weeks and while the midwife had said it was nothing to worry about, Thomas knew Bligh had been concerned.
‘Just a bit of burning as something else stretches I guess.’ Marnie stopped walking and took a deep breath. ‘Having gone almost to term with twins last time, my stomach muscles got very stretched. I know it’s been six years but I never quite got back to my pre-pregnancy fitness.’
‘You look great. You always have.’
Marnie laughed. ‘I wasn’t after a compliment. I just meant that my pelvic floor isn’t quite the same and my hips ache more with this pregnancy.’
‘OK, a bit too much information there, Marnie. About the pelvic floor I mean.’
‘I never had you down as a snowflake.’
Thomas shrugged. ‘I am what I am.’ He grinned at her. ‘No, just teasing but yeah… I know from what I’ve read that pregnancy is hard on a woman’s body.’
‘From what you’ve read?’
‘I worry about you and wanted to be as informed as possible.’
‘Thomas Dryden you are the sweetest brother in the world.’
‘I don’t know about that.’ He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.
‘Uncle Thomas can we go and see the doggies?’ Winnie tugged at his hand holding the cane and pointed at the gazebo for the rescue sanctuary.
‘Absolutely we can! Let’s just allow your mum to catch her breath.’ He held out his arm for Marnie again. ‘You want me to get you some water or something?’
‘Actually, I’m starving again but I’ll wait unit Bligh catches up with us and then send him to find food.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’ Thomas tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and they headed for the gazebo. He was concerned about Marnie but hoped she’d let him know if she was in any pain or discomfort so he could act accordingly. And by that he meant phone Bligh and tell him to get a move on because Thomas wasn’t a snowflake, but he did get a bit squeamish about some things, especially if they were happening to the people he loved.
I nside the gazebo, Thomas looked around. There was a stall with information about the sanctuary and several employees wearing the sanctuary T-shirts. People milled around, reading leaflets, talking to the employees and making a fuss of the dogs.
‘Hello there.’ A tall, slim woman with short grey hair smiled at them. ‘I’m Leanne and I manage the sanctuary. Do you have any questions?’
‘Can I see the dogs, please?’ Winnie asked.
‘Of course you can. I’ll take you over and introduce you now if that’s OK with you?’ she asked Marnie and Thomas.
‘Of course.’ Marnie smiled, her hand cradling her bump.
‘Would you like to sit down?’ Leanne asked Marnie, a flicker of concern passing over her face.
‘That would be grand, thanks.’ Marnie nodded. ‘Would you keep an eye on Winnie?’ she asked Thomas.
‘Of course I will.’ He nodded.
While Leanne showed Marnie to a seating area in the corner of the gazebo, Thomas waited with Winnie. When Leanne returned to them, she said, ‘So are you looking to adopt?’
‘Uhm… I’m actually looking to volunteer,’ Thomas said, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands. Putting them in his pockets seemed rude but otherwise they were just hanging there so he held the cane between them both to give them something to do.
‘OK. Well, that’s lovely to hear.’ Leanne gestured at the table with the sanctuary banner above it. ‘Why don’t you come with me, and we can have a chat?’
‘Great.’
They made their way over and while Leanne talked Thomas through what volunteering would involve and what documentation he would need to provide, another sanctuary employee introduced Winnie to some of the dogs.
‘Look, Uncle Thomas!’ Winnie beckoned to him after he’d given Leanne his contact information. ‘This is Harvey the puggle.’
Leanne laughed. ‘He is a little puggle wuggle.’
‘Harvey the puggle wuggle!’ Winnie giggled. ‘Can we adopt him?’ Winnie asked, eyes wide and hands clasped together.
‘Oh… I think you need to ask your mum and dad that question.’ Thomas glanced over at his sister who was fanning her face with a leaflet and holding a cardboard cup of water. ‘Or at least your dad when he arrives.’
‘I will beg them to adopt him!’ Winnie said with the fervency of a young child.
‘He’s a lovely little dog,’ he said to Leanne.
‘He’s adorable and such an easy boy to have around. He has the sweetest temperament, loves children — as you can see — and is great with other dogs.’
Thomas watched as Winnie stroked Harvey’s head and he snuffled against her hand making her giggle.
‘Has he had any interest?’ Thomas asked.
‘We had a lady in earlier who seemed very taken with him, as he did with her, but she said she wasn’t in a position to adopt right now. Although she did say she would hopefully be able to consider adopting soon.’
‘Oh right.’ Thomas nodded.
‘He’s living with one of our volunteers but will be available for meet and greets at the sanctuary should you, your sister or Winnie decide you’d like to meet him again.’
‘It looks like Winnie is very taken with him.’ Thomas smiled as his niece sat still so Harvey could sniff her. ‘I’ll have a word with my brother-in-law, although with a new baby on the way, it might be a bit much for them.’
Leanne nodded. ‘Adopting a dog is a big responsibility and can be a lot when people have a new baby around too.’
‘I’m footloose and fancy free though,’ Thomas said thoughtfully. ‘It would be nice to have some company.’
‘Well, you can fill in an application form for him if you want to,’ Leanne said. ‘The lady who liked him is staying in the village for the summer and might not be here long-term, so she said she didn’t know if she’d be a suitable candidate anyway. Not that his adopters need to be local, but they do need to either be homeowners or to have their landlord’s permission to have a dog living with them.’
‘I’m a homeowner and I don’t work.’ Thomas laughed shyly. He hated admitting he was out of work but didn’t want to explain why.
‘I know who you are, Thomas,’ Leanne said. ‘It’s all good.’
‘Oh…’ He inhaled slowly. It was bound to happen, him being recognised and word getting around. He’d been in the village for a while and his story had been splashed all over the newspapers at one point, so it would be a miracle if some people didn’t recognise him. He’d kept his head down, been a quiet presence in the village, but even so… People talked but some people, thankfully, understood the need for privacy. ‘Right.’
He didn’t know what else to say.
‘I have your contact information for volunteering, so I’ll be in touch soon. But please have a think about Harvey and potentially come and meet him again at the sanctuary and see if you still think adopting would suit you.’
‘Thanks, Leanne.’
‘No problem at all.’
Thomas wandered over to Winnie and crouched down next to her then gave Harvey a stroke. The dog snuffled against his hand and gave it a lick.
‘He likes you, Uncle Thomas!’ Winnie beamed. ‘You should adopt him so I can see him all the time.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ he said. ‘Oh look, there’s your dad and Wendy.’
Bligh and Wendy entered the gazebo and Thomas waved them over.
‘Everything OK?’ Bligh asked scanning the space for his wife.
‘Marnie’s sitting down,’ Thomas gestured at the seating area. ‘She’s had a few twinges and seems a bit tired.’
‘OK, I’ll keep an eye on her. I’ve told her to slow down but you know what she’s like.’
‘I do.’ Thomas grimaced. ‘Stubborn.’
‘True that.’ Bligh patted his shoulder. ‘Keep an eye on the girls while I speak to my wife.’
‘Of course.’
Bligh went over to Marnie, and Thomas and Winnie introduced Wendy to Harvey. The girls played with the dog and his toys and asked Thomas more times than he could count if he would adopt Harvey. After twenty minutes, Bligh came back to them and said, ‘Come on, we need to get your mum something to eat.’
‘Can we have ice cream?’ Winnie asked jumping up.
‘After you’ve had lunch,’ Bligh said.
‘Yay!’ Winnie jumped up and down and Harvey pawed at her leg. ‘Sorry, Harvey but we have to go now. We will see you again soon, I hope.’
The dog wagged his curly tail, and Thomas gave him one more stroke before they left the gazebo and walked back out into the late May sunshine.
Harvey the puggle wuggle was certainly cute and would make a great addition to the family but he’d need to take some time to think it over. The last thing he wanted to do was rush such a big decision, even if his heart was telling him to go for it.
It wasn’t the first time recently that the phrase the heart wants what it wants had come to mind, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last…