Country Mile

NEVER LETTING GO

"Alright," Adam said turning suspicious eyes upon Genna. "What's really goin' on with that bowl of meat?"

Genna looked to Delilah, who nodded her head while mouthing, tell him.

So she did. Looks of irritation and humor flashed periodically across his face as Genna told him all about how her afternoon outing had transpired.

"Well ladies, I suppose we have a dog and some pups to wrangle before we lose light."

Delilah and Genna both squealed in delight and their happy dance commenced.

It didn't take them long to convince Mama dog to trust them once they provided her a hot meal. Soon, 5 healthy puppies that looked just like their mama filled the kitchen with tiny squeaks. Adam made it clear that Genna and Delilah would be responsible for the dog and her pups since they were so adamant about keeping them and not turning them over to a shelter. So the girls spent the following 8 weeks tending to the dogs.

Throughout that time, Genna slowly adjusted to life where heat and sky were the dominating forces around her. Second only to Adam, that is. She was finding that the burly man was kind, but stern. He was easy going, yet somehow easily riled. Genna couldn't quite figure him out and they often found themselves in a stalemate of stubborn wills.

When the time had come where the puppies were ready to be given away to their forever homes, friends of Adam's were eager to take in the orange little fluff balls. Mama dog however, the trio just couldn't part with. She was vaccinated, spayed, and registered as theirs. A silver tag with the name Cheddar adorned her orange collar. She never had to go hungry again. She never slept outside unless she wanted to. Their home, became her home, and she repaid them in sloppy kisses every chance she got.

Genna sat at the kitchen table with one leg tucked beneath her, the other swinging absentmindedly. One hand had fingers threaded through soft fur, the other scrolled through TikTok videos on her phone.

Adam poked his head in the back door and his voice pulled her away from the illuminated screen.

"Genevieve, could you run on upstairs and tell Delilah the Robinson's will be here to pick up the last pup in an hour? I know she'd wanna have time to play and say goodbye."

"Awww," Genna's lip formed a pout. "That's today? I thought they were coming next Saturday."

A sympathetic smile shifted across Adam's face. "No, darlin', it's today."

"Alright," Genna sighed. "I'll go get Li."

"Thanks, I'll be outside."

Genna nodded and begrudgingly left her seat, stopping to quickly stretch her leg. The pins and needles that erupted upon movement made her realize she'd been sitting there for quite a while. She slowly walked up the stairs, scrolling through her puppy album to make sure she had enough photos of Cayenne, the last puppy to leave, to last her a lifetime before she had to go to her new home.

Once bare feet reached the top landing, brown eyes peered into Delilah's room. The door was left open, but the blonde girl wasn't inside. Assuming she was in the bathroom, Genna started to make her way down the hall but a noise stopped her in her tracks.

The sound was coming from her room. Genna crept closer to her bedroom and was about to peek inside when the sudden tune of a particular jewelry box playing made her freeze. A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as the gnawing pain of grief rose from its hollow existence. As if the tune itself beckoned her anguish to dance with her despair.

With trembling hands, Genna pushed the door open and stood silently in the doorway.

Delilah sat upon Genna's bed. Unaware of Genna's presence and uninvited to Genna's personal belongings.