Another Door Opens

14 - Hades

- EDEN -

Wolfe and I managed to get to the Victoria-New South Wales border near Albury before needing to refuel, my car having pretty good mileage considering the heavy load it was currently hauling. After stopping and filling up at the petrol station, we opted to stretch our legs and grab some food, sitting down at a park hosting a farmer’s market and eating our sandwiches from the nearby bakery. I’m assuming this must be an especially big event if the number of people is anything to go by. It’s packed, and they seem to have a market stall for everything you can imagine.

Local honey, homemade jams, fresh fruit and vegetables and other farmer’s market staples. Vinyl records, second hand clothing, art, candles and crafts made by the locals. 

The stall that captured my attention, however, was one hosted by the Albury Animal Care Centre, who were clearly doing a pet adoption drive today. There were crates everywhere, and a small pen set up where people—mostly kids—were given the opportunity to pet and get to know some of the animals, hopefully with the intention of convincing their parents to let them take them home.

I’ve never had a pet. My mum was always allergic, and I’m more of a dog person than a cat, which is hard when you live in an apartment in the city. I’d considered it a couple times, but in the end it would have just been so awful to keep an active dog cooped up inside without a yard to run around in. Maybe when I get to Byron, I can find myself a new place with a fenced yard and finally get myself a dog. Maybe now’s finally the time.

My heart was breaking just seeing all the puppies and mature dogs in cages. I get that it might be a safety and logistical precaution considering I know all dogs don’t get along with each other, especially rescues which I know all of these dogs up for adoption must be; but no one deserves to be caged up like that.

“How’s Medusa going?” I asked Wolfe as he polished off the last of his sandwich, trying to distract myself from the desire to go over, adopt them all and cram them into my already full car.

Wolfe followed my line of sight to the adoption stall and smiled. I’m convinced he’s already read my mind and knows what I’m currently thinking. “She’s good. Might be slowing down a fraction now she’s like a hundred years old or something, but she’s still my princess, and one of the best parts of all my days.”

Medusa was Dalen’s companion originally. After his death, Wolfe and Luna naturally inherited her, which was the only option really considering how attached they all were to each other through Dalen. In dog years, I don’t think she’d be far off that hundred years old Wolfe mentioned. I don’t know the exact math, but she’s got to be pushing at least fifteen human years by now. She’s a sweetheart, and probably one of the reasons why I’m craving a dog myself. Hanging with her at Luna and Wolfe’s house a few weeks back gave me a taste for the dog mum life, as has my lingering unease about being so alone now I don’t have Trey. It’s been a strange thing adjusting to living on my own. Things stay cleaner, which is an upside; but they’re also incredibly quiet, and I’m not sure I’m really wanting to tackle that silence given everything else going on in my family.

“You could always just go over and have a looksie at who’s there, Edes...” Wolfe said slyly as he crumpled up his sandwich wrapper and threw it basketball style into the bin near our table.

I looked back towards the adoption stall, mulling over my options. I know if I go over, I won’t be able to help myself. I’ll have no choice but to adopt someone, and I think Wolfe knows that. But I haven’t spoken to Nella and Mason about getting a pet and keeping it in their house until I find my own, and they already have a cat named Wisp who may not like someone else encroaching on their territory.