Until I Found you

Fourteen

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you straightforwardly, without problems or pride:
I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love,
except in this form in which I am not nor are you,
so close that your hand upon my chest is mine,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Sonnet XVII 100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda

"Babacığım, how about these plates?" Kiraz asked while they browsed the aisle for suitable dishes for their new giant pup.

"I think we need something bigger, Kiki. He'll be eating 2-4 cups of food each meal. That amount of food won't fit in either of those," Serkan explained.

Kiraz nodded and went to get bigger dishes, ones that were decorated with little bones.

"Get a placemat, too," Serkan advised.

"Why? It isn't like Sirius will eat with us at the table, will he? He'll eat all our food before we can get to it," she giggled.

"We'll get a water dispenser for him. And it's best if we put it on top of a placemat. Sirius might want to play with the water and make a mess," Serkan told her. "Where, Eda?" He asked when he realized he hadn't seen her for several minutes.

"She's trying bed with Sirius," Kiraz reported absentmindedly as she browsed through the placemats of different designs.

"She's trying the beds, too?" Serkan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, how else will she know if they're comfortable or not?"

Apparently, his girls thought this was the most logical explanation.

"What food did you get him?" Kiraz asked.

"We are going to try a couple of different ones. Dry and wet food, see which one Sirius likes best," Serkan told his daughter. "Rottweilers need to eat a well-balanced meal, which should be between 22% and 26% protein. I'm taking lamb and beef ones. No chicken for him since it tends to be a common allergen for dogs."

Kiraz nodded. "Can we buy him some clothes? Look at these shirts. They're so cute!" She held one that read Star Paws and another that said Play Hard, Nap Hard.

He smiled at them, "Those are cute."

Eda met them, carrying two different dog beds, a leash, three collars, and a vest, while she held Sirius by a chain around her wrist. "I can't with you still picking dishes for him. Come on, you guys!" Eda dumped everything in her hands on the cart beside Serkan. "Pee-pee pads?" Eda asked, confused when she saw this item in their cart.

"Just in case of emergencies," Serkan justified.

"Right," Eda agreed hesitantly, then added, "I picked up a vest for Sirius. It's getting cold. And he might need it to go out when it snows."

"Kiraz is trying to pick some shirts for Sirius, too," Serkan pointed at his daughter a little farther down the aisle.

"Look, Eda, this one has a bowtie!"

Shopping together for everything Sirius might need, and more, felt domestic. Serkan hated shopping, but doing this with Eda and Kiraz was enjoyable. Plus, Eda had allowed him to hold her hand in his, which made him giddy.

When they arrived home, Serkan and Eda organized everything they'd purchased with Seyfi's help while Kiraz took a quick shower. Still too early for bedtime, Kiraz had insisted that Eda and Serkan read to her and Sirius before bed. It'd been a long day for the little girl, and she was out like a light within the first 10 minutes of the story. Sirius had then cuddled next to her and done the same.