Baker (Tom Hiddleston Story)

Chapter 98

2042

Bobby Hiddleston passed away ten years ago now. The fifteen year old cocker spaniel died peacefully in his sleep but it absolutely devastated the family. Olivia was only twelve years old at the time and she took it really hard. But no one was as heart broken as Tom. He got Bobby when he was just a puppy so he couldn't handle the death of his first baby. He didn't even want to leave his bed for a full week after they buried him in the backyard of their home. Melissa and Olivia didn't leave his side, trying everything they could to comfort him. It took a while, but eventually Tom came to terms with the loss but to this day he still missed Bobby so much.

Melissa knew that Tom missed having a dog around the house. She had to admit that she did too. She never had any pets growing up but she loved Bobby like one of her own children. She knew that when he passed, Tom refused to get a new dog. He felt like he was replacing Bobby and Melissa respected that decision. But now that they had no children in their house and she felt enough time had passed, she thought maybe now was the time to bring up the idea to him.

"Sweetheart, are you busy?"

Tom looked up from his computer to see Melissa standing at the doorway of his office. "Too busy for you? Never," he smiled, as he scooted his chair back, silently inviting her to sit. Melissa walked over and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "So what's going on? I can tell something is on your mind."

"Well I had an idea and I wanted to see what you think." She paused to look at him and he nodded at her to continue. "Well as you probably know, it's been ten years now since we lost Bobbers. I know at the time you said you didn't want a new dog but now we have no kids in the house and I figured enough time might've passed for you to maybe want a new dog."

Tom looked down sadly. He of course wanted a new dog but he couldn't help but think that getting a new one would mean replacing Bobby. "I can see the gears turning in your head." She lifted his chin to get him to look at her. "Us getting a new dog is not us replacing Bobby. We loved him so much and I know he loved us. He'd want us to give that same love we gave him to another little pup. If this is truly not something you want then I'll drop it but I know you miss having a dog around the house."

Tom let out a big sigh before grabbing Melissa's hands and placing a kiss on them. "I love you, you know that right?"

"And I love you," she smiled.

"I would love to get another dog but it would need to feel just right. How about we go down to a shelter tomorrow and take a look around?"

"Whatever you want to do, I'll be right there with you."

After leaving his office, Melissa called the local animal shelter to let them know they'd be stopping by. She knew it would be a hard time for Tom and she didn't want to risk any fans or paparazzi seeing him during such a vulnerable time. They agreed to close the shelter while they were there to give them some privacy.

The next morning, Melissa drove them to the shelter. She saw that Tom was looking a little nervous so she figured it was probably best for him not to drive. Last night, before falling asleep, they spent some time discussing what they wanted in a dog. They agreed that they did want a dog that was no older than three years old. Normally, they would've been okay getting a senior dog but with Tom still being sensitive over the loss of Bobby they knew he wouldn't be able to handle losing another dog so soon.

When they arrived at the shelter, they were greeted and given a rundown of the adoption process. One of the volunteers was given the job of escorting them around to show them the different dogs they had. They spent about an hour going through the whole shelter, trying to interact with different dogs. They of course thought all the dogs were cute and could see any of them being their dog. But none felt right. They almost gave up until they came across a fluffy black and white dog. It was love at first sight.