The Pursuit of Happiness (Patrick Kane)

|Thirty-Seven|

Kayleigh

I haven't had a lot of genuine relationships in my life. Not from my brother or my mother or the on track minded boys back in Virginia. I love fairly easily, but the love I had felt forced. Like I wanted to love life instead of falling in love naturally.

Patrick was a little different from myself for it was hard for him to fall in love, hard for him to trust. He doesn't believe in people like I do. But when he does love he does it with his whole heart. He loves unconditionally and intensely, and I love that about him. But now that hockey has passed and I'm working more times than not I've noticed he's been getting lonely. Like he can't seem to leave me alone. And I don't mind at all, I love when he visits my office and the random calls throughout my day and all the ways he shows me that he loves me. I seriously appreciate the love this man for has for me, even if I don't fully understand it. I just want a way he can have something there for him when I can't be and it not be some kind of relationship that feels forced.

So I decided to surprise him and get him a dog to keep him company. Someone he can cuddle with and take care of when I'm not there. Plus I really wanted a dog too...

I go out into the city and find a dog shelter. I've always wanted to have a rescue dog, give it some loving that it's missing. A lot of these dogs face getting a new home or getting put down and I didn't want any of these poor babies to be put down. Everyone and everything deserves a kind of love they will never doubt. These dogs want a home that they will be in forever, not given up when it gets too big or becomes too much to handle. So I was going to rescue one and hopefully help some of the other dogs find some home too.

"What are you looking for" the lady who works there asks me as we walk through the kennels. I try not to show on my face how heart breaking this was, but it was hard. I wanted to adopt all of them and give them the love they want.

"Honestly I need a clingy dog. My boyfriend likes to give his love and attention to me but I'm working so I figured he can give it to a dog" I admit.

"Well you have a lot of options. I'll let you look around and when you want to see a dog let me know" she smiles.

I look for a while before I come up on a little Labrador. It was a yellow lab with the cutest little face. She was just sitting there peacefully as the other dogs barked and hollered. I walk over to her kennel and bend down. She immediately gets up and starts to try to lick me through the gates.

"That's Annie. She's a real sweetheart. She got turned in because she's half blind but she's a real good dog" the woman explains.

"Can I see her" I smile.

"Of course" she nods.

So she opens up the cage and the dog runs right over to me. She sits down in front of me as I pet her. "She's really not scared of people, is she" I ask.

"She loves people. Since she can't see too well she relies on people a lot and she knows someone will be willing to help her get around" the lady explains.

"How old is she" I wonder. It didn't really matter but it would be nice to know.

"She is one, still pretty young and has a lot of good years left in her. She'll need a little bit of adjusting since she's half blind but she's a great dog" she insists.

"In that case, I'll take her" I smile.

I pay the $150 for the pup and she couldn't have been more excited to come home with me. We go shopping so I can get her a collar and a tag made. I pick up dog food and some toys and a bed. Once I spoil the dog more than I should have I head on home. I bring her up as she sits in my arms.

"Hey babe" I call out as I look around.

"In the bedroom" he yells back.

So I go to the door and open it up. I send Annie in before me and she takes off trying to explore this whole new world. I hear Patrick gasp loudly as I smile to myself.

"Baby" he yells.

"Yes" I smile as I walk into the room. I see him crouched over with Annie in his arms as she licks his face.

"Please tell me you're not dog sitting and she's actually ours" he begs as he picks her up. I walk over and start to scratch behind her ear.

"I have all of her stuff in the car. She's all ours" I promise.

"Why did you get us a dog? We've never talked about it" he remembers.

"No offense but you're pretty emotionally attached to me" I start.

"And that's a bad thing" he questions.

"Not at all" I smile. "But I feel bad leaving you alone. I figured you can love her in the mean time then when we're all three home we can love each other until our heart is content" I admit.

"There's no love like the love I have for you. But I will love this dog. In fact I already do" he admits.

"I figured you would" I smile.

So we spend the rest of the evening getting Annie set up in the apartment and finding a place for her to use the bathroom. I wish we had a porch but being this high up that's not really a option. So we get a pee pad until she gets used to the idea of having go down 40 floors before she can relieve herself.

Once she was settled in we crawl into bed. Annie joins us and Patrick lets her curl up at the end of the bed. She looks at us with those cute eyes and I can tell she wanted up here with us. So I pat the small spot between Patrick and I and she pops up quickly. She runs over before turning around a few times and laying between us. She rests her head on Patrick's arm and I smile. "I never thought about having a dog. I never wanted to own one before. But she's perfect, thank you" he smiles.

"Of course baby" I smile back.