Welcome Home!

Part 37: Dearest Apologies

Someone else knocked on my door about 10 minutes after Howdy had left. It was Barnaby. He slapped a heavy paw onto my face gently, for Wally was watching us quietly from the doorway.

"Kiddo, ya gotta go make things rights with my boy Howdy, 'kay? Ya prob'ly dint know, but Howdy thought ya rejected 'im. Now, you are much dumber than the last one, so jus' go visit Howdy and go hug in the rain or whatever, mhm? 'Tis sad watchin' all my friends suffer. Ya better make sure those two stay happy or I'll tell ya what they did to bring ya back," Barnaby declared. I carefully slid hid paw off my paw.

"Okay, Barnaby! I did not know I had rejected Howdy. Have I made Wally sad, too?"

"Geez. It was quite the mistake bringin' ya back," Barnaby muttered. Wally appeared next to me and stared up at Barnaby with an oddly menacing expression. Barnaby rolled his eyes.
"Ya gotta get a hold of yerself, Wally, bud. They aren't the same, so ya gotta man up and befriend them, m'kay? It's painful to watch all of you clueless fools bumble about. Tsk tsk. This is a new neighbor now, so treat 'em like one. Poor thing cant figure out why they're being showered with yer attention."

After insulting and informing me, Barnaby left. I turned to Wally.

"Was your ring here something I rejected..?" I took off the ring and placed it in the palm of his hand. He nodded ever so slightly.

"I know you didn't mean to! Don't worry. This time, I'll befriend you so well, you'll never even know I was going to marry you!" Wally gave me a thumbs up. I didn't quite catch that last part, but it probably wasn't important. I was glad he wanted to be my friend. That's all I really wanted.

"I look forward to it! I better go make sure Howdy is okay," I nodded. Wally nodded with me.

(Wally did not want you to leave, but he had made up his mind. He was not going to pursue you with marriage in mind. No. He was just going to try and befriend you, and maybe things would grow from there. It didn't matter if it didn't, though. Wally just needed another friend. He just needed someone who placed him first in their life.)

I began to run to the bodega.

(Meanahile, Howdy was still trying to collect himself. All he was trying to do was jog your memory! He should have come up with a better explanation than Frank and Eddie. Another attempt failed. Still, it wasn't your fault. You hadn't even met Ftank, so it was no wonder you had forgotten about their heavily implied relationship.

Howdy had really doomed everything from the start, hadn't he? He got too excited and tried to rush, but he only ended up shooting himself in the foot.

Howdy got up and walked over to his front door. He opened it and flipped his sign to say closed. He wanted to keep his shop closed for as long as possible.)

Howdy was outside. I ran even faster. My friend was sad! I could not stand to think of such a thought. I finally reached him and hugged him from behind.

"Howdy! Oh, Howdy, dear! My sincerest apologies! I did not know I had rejected you!" I hugged him as tight as I could manage. This puppet had built me my own box! There was no excuse for me to be making him depressed. "I just didn't understand! Don't worry! I will happily be your friend!"

"Thanks," Howdy turned and gave me a slight smile, but he said nothing more after that. He freed himself from my hug and walked into his bodega, locking the door behind him.

"Howdy!" I sighed. He looked at me apologetically before entering another room in his bodega. I shook my head and began to walk away. I didn't know where I was going, but it seemed that my special talent was messing everything up.

As I walked, someone picked me up. It was dear Sally! She smiled at me.

"Heellllloooooooo, my dearest neighbor!" Sally twirled with me in her arms. She was only a little taller than me, but she still managed to carry me.

She stopped twirling and squinted at me. "Why do you look so gloomy? Who made you sad? I'll go and rip up their seams!"

Despite Sally's surprising threat, I felt quite comforted by her presence. She was a very warm person... like the sun.

"I think that it was I who made everyone sad, Sally!" I cried. Sally tightened her hug.

"Oh, dear. I'm absolutely positive that's not true! Come on, starlight! Let's go spend the rest of the day together, yeah? You don't need those two to have a good time! I'm a fun puppet, you know!"

"Thank you, Sally."

"Here, I'll give you a piggyback ride! Sad people should be treated like cute, floppy cats. I like to carry cats, so come on!"

I did as Sally said. It was very kind of her to carry me. She was right, though. Sad people should be treated like cats. Cat Howdy wanted to be alone. Cat Wally wanted to be alone-- no. Oh no. Cat Wally wanted to be WITH someone, yet I had left him!

"Sally, before we go to your house, can I check up on Wally? He's a cat who doesn't want to be alone!" I gasped. How could I have been so oblivious? Barnaby was right, though he could have phrased it in a nicer way.

"Of course! We can drag him along with us. Either way, he'll just be sleeping. Wally aaalllllwwaaayyyyyyssssssss gets like this when sad. It's a pretty rate sight to see, though!" Sally replied. She began running towards my house. She opened the door. I was still riding on her back. Sally was very strong.
"Okay, Wally. You're coming with us whether you like it or not! Sad cats do not get to wallow in pity," she laughed as she began to drag Wally with us by his ascot. Wally limply allowed himself to be dragged.

We made it to Sally's house. It was very warm, though I noticed an opening in her ceiling. I did not pry, however, as that would be rude.

Sally had plopped Wally onto her starry couch. She wrapped a blanket covered in constellations around him.

"Now, you go to sleep. We'll be right here if you need us, okay? Sleep well, you little menace." Sally patted Wally's head, well, hair.

Wally closed his eyes and began chanting. "I'm sleeping... I'm sleeping... I'm sleeping.."

Sally giggled softly before turning back to me. "As for you, no worrying is allowed tonight! Promise you won't worry?" Sally asked, holding up her pinky.

"Promise," I smiled as I hooked my pinky with hers. It was about time something good happened.

(Meanwhile, Howdy was sweeping the floor of his bodega quietly. The sound of the bristles grazing the vinyl soothed him.

He had been making nothing but foolish choices lately. He couldn't believe he had just let you go like that. He shouldn't have turned away, but he did.

There was no changing the past, but there was always hope for a better future.)