Divine

"Well, I have to declaw a cat, vaccinate a dachshund and help a golden retriever deliver her first litter of puppies," Autumn replied.

"How sweet, best of luck with the puppies," Florence said waving goodbye to him.

"Thank you, Florence!" Autumn called back as he made his way down the hall and to the steps.

After three flights of steps, Autumn exited the apartment building and headed into the small town of Hopewell, Ohio.

Hopewell wasn't a large town, but instead was a close-knit little community nestled deep within rural Ohio. It had a bank, a church, a grocery store, several small businesses, a fire station, a gas station, the school and the veterinary clinic. Everyone knew one another's name and everyone seemed to get along.

Autumn had moved to Hopewell when he was eleven to live with his grandparents after his parents were killed in a car wreck. Before Hopewell, he lived in the suburbs of Cleveland. When he finished veterinary school, he moved back to Hopewell, realizing how much he loved the town and its residents.

"Good morning, Doctor!" locals greeted as they passed

Autumn on the street.

"Good morning," he responded back, flashing his contagious smile.

Once he made it to the clinic, his assistant Sarah handed him a mug of coffee.

"Your eight AM appointment is waiting patiently," she informed him politely.

Autumn nodded and walked over to a mother and her little girl. The little girl clung tightly to a small Siamese kitten and stared at Autumn cautiously.

"Hey," he coaxed kneeling down in front of her, "is your friend ready for his surgery?"

"His name is Petey," the little girl corrected, "are you going to hurt him?"