The Prices I Pay ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X ERWIN SMITH X OC))

Chapter 9

Silica was escorted home later that night after relaying the message of the upcoming mission in Mitras to Elite Advancement. The warm air that she had only just begun to grow used to during her months above ground slowly started to chill, and she shivered against the billows as she approached the front door of her house.

She could hear Amelia's laughter clearly from inside, and felt her unsettled nerves subside just barely as she opened the door. The sight of Nora, Peter, and Ama sitting on the floor of the den drew in her gaze immediately, and she froze in her tracks upon hearing the tiny barks of a puppy coming from within their semicircle.

Amelia whipped her head around immediately at her mother's entry, and flashed a smile that could rival the sun as she hoisted the tiny, squirming animal up in her arms.

"Mama!" Amelia giggled with glee as she held up the dog. "We found a lost puppy on our morning walk! Can we keep him? Pleaaaase?"

Silica opened her mouth like a gaping fish, and quickly snapped it closed again as she finally found it within herself to shut the door behind her. The small Doberman whined from the way Amelia held it from under its arms, and its dark coal eyes looked at Silica pleadingly, as if it also begged her to stay.

"I do apologize for this, Miss Silica," Nora quickly rose to her feet and took the puppy from Amelia's hands. "If you don't wish to keep him, I will gladly take him off your hands and find him a good home myself."

"Aw, but Nora!" Peter whined. "Why can't we keep it if Ama doesn't?"

"Uh..." Silica bit her lip as she contemplated the responsibility of a dog — on top of the task it would be in taking care of her baby — and as she lingered in her sea of thoughts, the front door opened once more to reveal Mike's arrival home from base.

"Oh! Mike!" Amelia scampered up to his side immediately and grabbed onto his hand. "Tell Mom that we should keep this dog! Pleaaase? I've always wanted one!"

"A dog?" Mike blinked, appearing none the wiser, and slightly surprised, to be bombarded as soon as he walked in. His gaze flickered over to Silica, who looked sick by the whole idea.

"A dog." Silica sighed tiredly, and leaned toward the small animal to get a better look at him. He was scrawny after God knows how long of being alone in the woods, but his eyes were soulful and sweet. She took one of his paws.

"What do you think?" Mike asked. Amelia clung to his arm like her life depended on it.

Silica's attention was on Amelia now. "If I let you keep this dog, you understand that you're the one who will have to take care of it, right?"

"Yes!" Amelia nodded quickly.

"That means walking it," Silica began. "Feeding it, bathing it, training it."

"Yes Mama I can do it! I promise!" Amelia skipped up to her mother with her hands clasped together, begging. "Please let me keep him! Please, please, please!"

Silica pursed her lips before sighing in defeat and gesturing for Nora to hand over the dog. She complied, and Amelia let off a squeal that made her new pet howl.

"And keep him quiet!" Silica called after her daughter as she scurried up the stairs, and let out yet another sigh as she turned to Nora.

"She named him Duke." Nora grinned, and Silica couldn't help but scoff in amusement as she walked passed her to sit down.

"She's been set on a dog since we moved here," She said tiredly, leaning back on the cushion with her eyes closed. "Must be fate that she found him."

"It appears that way," Nora hummed whilst motioning that Peter stand. "We'll leave you to your evening, now. Say goodbye, Peter."