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The woman lost her smile. “Death row.”
Imogene’s mouth fell open, muttering, “What?”
“It sounds harsh, but it’s true.” She sighed, and the sadness in her eyes was impossible to miss. “They’re on the list to be euthanized.”
“Why?”
“Different reasons for some, but most have just been here too long. Unfortunately, the shelter doesn’t have the space, and they have nowhere to go.” The girl inched closer. “Do you want to look?”
“Yeah.”
The redhead perked up, grabbed her wrist, and led her into the adjacent room. There were only a handful of cats as she passed the cages. Several were sleeping, a few hissed at her until she reached the end of the line. An orange ball of fur with green eyes stared back at her. He was positioned at the front of the cage, leaning into the bars.
“That’s Hank. He was brought in a few months ago. He’s ten, and his owner died. The family didn’t want him, so he ended up here. That happens a lot.”
Imogene inched closer to the cage. “Why didn’t they want him?”
“They said they were allergic but…” Her voice trailed off.
Imogene glanced over at the woman as she rocked on her heels. “He has some aggressive tendencies.”
Define some. The girl didn’t elaborate and glanced around the room, clearly avoiding eye contact. It was a warning sign.
Imogene looked back at him. Hank seemed completely relaxed, and she slowly reached out, sticking her finger through the bars and lightly caressing his head. He showed no aggression at all. If anything, he leaned into her hand.
“That’s impressive. Hank usually doesn’t like anyone. You must be special.”
Maybe it’s fate. Two lonely souls looking for companionship.
“Hank doesn’t play well with others, so he’d have to be the only pet in the home.”
It sounded like yet another warning, but it wasn’t a concern for her. She wasn’t even supposed to have one pet, let alone multiples.
She glanced over at Hank, who was staring back at her. Everything in the logical side of her brain was screaming, “don’t do it.” This one decision could lead to an immediate eviction. Then where would she be? Homeless with Hank. It wasn’t fair to him. She had to be responsible. And sensible.
Or?
“I’d like to adopt him.”
“Really?” Her high pitched voice reflected her complete shock.
Imogene nodded. “I think we’re exactly what each other needs.”
The redhead practically bounced on her toes and grabbed Imogene by the arms. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.”
Imogene widened her eyes, but completely fed off her happy energy and chuckled. “I have a pretty good idea.”
The woman released her arms and waved her hands. “Sorry, I just get excited when one of them comes off the list. We all deserve a second chance.”
We? It seemed like an odd way of wording a pet adoption. Still… I couldn’t agree more with… She glanced down at the woman’s name tag. Eden.
“Let me get an adoption counselor for you and get the paperwork started.”
“Perfect.”
Eden rushed out the door, and Imogene bent down, smiling at her new companion. “You ready to come home with me, Hank?”
This was good. It would give them both what they needed.
