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After I hadmy things unboxed and put away, I hopped into the shower to clean the grime and dust off of me. Once I was thoroughly dried and dressed, bored out of my mind, I decide to find Burk and make sure he’s settling in alright. Walking around the corner, I’m not surprised when I see his wheelchair sitting haphazardly in the corner and his room eerily quiet—abandoned.
“Where did you go, Berkley?” My voice echoes around the room, causing me to shiver. I’ve never been one who does well in new spaces without having someone to fill the void of silence. Being my normal, curious self, I start walking through his room and checking his boxes, unsurprised to find they haven’t been unpacked.
Wise to the fact that he must be somewhere on the grounds with Aris, I let my guard down, my overprotective sister act can take a breather as I proceed to do him a favor and begin unpacking his clothes, as well as his bathroom essentials. Chaos, organizedor otherwise, has never been something I can deal with without breaking into hives. That comes from years of living with my parents who always insisted their home look picture perfect.
Pushing up my shirt sleeves, I dig in—before I know it, nine tenths of his belongings have been unearthed and organized. By the time I’m ready to call it a day, I’m once again a sweaty mess. It seems to be a recurring thing for me today.
Instead of showering again, seeing as I like to be fresh before crawling between my sheets at night, I start investigating Aris’s home. As I hit the landing of the staircase, a giggle escapes me when it hits me that he lives in a micro mansion, something we both swore when we were in school that we’d never do. We didn’t want to be like our parents, more specifically, mine. Wealth warped their minds, and we were going to go against the grain of what was expected of us.
I wonder if Addison stuck to her guns or if she too lives beyond what’s considered as standardized, middle class living. She and I used to dream of a cottage in the woods with a white picket fence and plenty of room around us to explore while we hike. We were going to build our homes side by side so that we could be there for all of the important things that come up in our lives. Marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, raising said children together—regardless of if our future husbands were onboard with our wants or not. We were going to have our homes established and give them no other choice but to move in with us when we started our new beginnings with these fantasized men at our sides.
My head hangs low when these memories crop up, life likes to throw you a bucket of lemons and you can’t always make lemonade out of it. I’m a prime example of that. All of my hopes and dreams were put to the background once Berkley fell fromgrace—not by his own making either. I still get riled up anytime that stupid bitch’s name or face pops in my head. The law may not get her, but one day, she’ll have to pay the devil his dues and I hope I’m around to watch her answer for her sins against my twin.
Once I hit the bottom step, my phone begins ringing in my pocket. Not wanting to deal with anyone, but knowing the cookie may crumble if I don’t, I lift it to my face and look at the incoming call screen. My face alights in joy when I notice it’s the breeder I’ve been in contact with. I sent her all of Berk’s medical files as well as a shirt to see which one reacts to his scent,andshe was going to see which one of her dogs met the criteria for assisting my brother with his journey as he relearns to walk with the aid of machinery. I need this animal to stay close, but not close enough to where Berk could trip and fall.
I also asked her to ensure this canine was a protector outside of becoming his friend.
I want him to have an extra guard on standby. Even with us being secluded and it being next to impossible for anybody to get their hands on us, I don’t trust that my father won’t find a low life with the capabilities of overriding the security system and detail Aris has already established for us. I have a better chance of defending myself than my brother does against these individuals so a dog that can protect him is something I plan to add to his life. It’ll give me peace of mind if nothing else
“Kelly!” I excitedly answer. She told me the next time we were in contact, it’d be because she found the perfect candidate for him.
“Berlynn. One of my little ones went nuts when he sniffed the shirt you sent me with Berkley’s scent. I’m talking berserk! I’venever witnessed such an immediate reaction before in all of the years I’ve been doing this.”
“That’s wonderful news, Kelly! Does this little guy also meet the criteria for everything else we discussed?”
“He does, as a matter of fact, he aced every test I put him through. Let me tell you a little about him. He’s seven months old, I know that’s younger than what you were thinking, but with him being raised by Berk, they’ll have a stronger bond with one another, which will kick his protective instincts into a higher gear, so to speak.”
I give a noncommittal hum, not sure that I want to be picking up after a puppy. Which I express to her with my next statement. “I don’t have the patience, nor am I keen about the fact that I’ll have to potty train him. We’re staying with a family friend, his tastes are a bit… extravagant and exquisite, and to be frank, I’m not a fan of him having his things chewed or clawed up. If his furniture is scarred or blemished, I won’t be able to replace it, everything appears to be hand stitched and custom designed.”
“Good news! Tracker is potty trained and isn’t a chewer. Never has been if I’m being honest. He leans toward playing with his tennis balls, frisbee, and stuffed animals. He also favors his bed to lying on any furniture, you won’t have to vacuum his fur off of the linens because he’s always on guard, which means, he’d rather be on the floor so he can protect his family better.”
“Okay,” I drawl, “you almost have me sold.”
“How about a home visit so you can check him out for yourself and we make sure he’s a good fit for Berkley,” she suggests.
“That would be perfect! I’ll even pay for your gas,” I offer.
“No need for that. My parents are close to you and my mom’s been begging for me to come see her. It’ll be two stones tossed with one throw,” she giggles. “Less strenuous for me.”
“What if they have an instant connection, Kelly? Would you be willing to leave Tracker here with us on a permanent basis, or would we need to pick him up at a later time? I’m only asking because Berk can get temperamental if he becomes attached to something and it gets yanked away from him.”
“The plan would be not to have a plan. I feel it’s in both of their best interests to play it by ear at this point, Berlynn. I’d like to speak with your brother to ensure that I have Tracker ready to meet all of his wants and needs. If Tracker still requires some training, I’d have to bring him home with me,” she tells me, being as brutally honest as possible without sounding like she’s talking to someone dumb in this sort of transition.
I like that she doesn’t make it feel as if she’s talking down to me. Some people do that whether it’s intentional or not. Kelly’s so laid back that I’ve been at ease with her since the first time we communicated and started discussing if a guide dog would be a good idea or fit for Berk. And we’ve talked a lot in the last few weeks.
“When would you be heading this way?” I ask her. I’ve learned since Berk’s ‘incident’ that not telling him something until the last minute is best, but me on the other hand, I need time to be prepared. Especially when it comes to something big like this that could be life-altering.
I hear Kelly clear her throat before asking me, “Well, how does this weekend sound? Tracker has been restless and sleeping with Berk’s clothing since he caught his first scent of it. He’s been whining… pathetically. If they’re a good fit, I’d like to get themtogether as quickly as possible before Tracker starts exhibiting signs of depression.”
“Dogs do that? They get depressed?” I ask, aghast at the probability of this poor baby suffering. I’m a caretaker by heart, that organ aches when anybody in my proximity or life is unhappy. I can’t stand any idea that a living, breathing being—human or otherwise, could be sad due to separation anxiety. “Even if they’ve never met?”
“It’s been known to happen when they claim their human. His eyes are already droopy, and I’ve mentioned the whining. Those are the first signs that I watch for,” she confesses.
“Bring him now. This place is a monstrosity, you can stay here with us,” I propose. “Better yet, I’ll come get him if you can’t make it here.”
Kelly laughs before saying, “I have a kennel full of babies that I need to take care of tonight. But if you’re anxious to bring him home, you can come pick him up and I can stop by tomorrow to check all the boxes and ask my questions, check to see how the duo is doing. But may I suggest bringing Berk with you? It’ll be easier for Tracker if he has his chosen at his side when he leaves. I won’t do the questionnaire tonight. As a matter of fact, it may be better if I do it after they’ve had time to get acquainted with each other.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. I can’t stand the notion that one more night may drag Tracker down further than he already is. Now, I gotta go search this monstrosity Aris calls a home and find my wayward brother. He’s taken it upon himself to claim his independence regardless of how many times I express my fear of him not being in his chair and overdoing things.” Aggravation sets in after I voice this out loud to Kelly. The doctors and I havetold Berk over and over until I’m blue in the face not to strain himself. His body is still adjusting to things and he is a fall risk as it is. And today, he’s been on his feet more than he has since he had the procedure.
