Reflect // Van McCann

19. Shadow

*Van's POV*

I let Little Amy go out for a potty break before stepping out to complete my shopping. I came home with more carrier bags and went a little crazy on the treats and little outfits for her. Little Amy watched as I unpacked all the things I bought for her.

"This is your bed," I explained, laying it out in front of her. I patted the bed and she jumped in. "D'you like it?" Little Amy made herself comfortable and I took that as a yes. I pulled out a bag of treats and her ears perked up. "These are for when you're being a good girl." I gathered all the treats and stood up, putting them away. Little Amy watched me as if she was taking a mental note of where I hid the treats.

I have to admit it's nice having a pet. Living by myself in this flat is nice but I wish I had someone else with me. Someone to talk to. It did cross my mind to find someone else and to start dating again but I never found the right person. Owning a pet is the perfect solution.

I began preparing dinner. As I was cooking the vegetables, Little Amy wandered over, curious what the wonderful aroma was. She waited at my feet, following me when I walked to the refrigerator and following me when I went to the sink. She was waiting for me to drop something—anything. One time I wasn't paying attention and I accidentally kicked her. She yelped and I dropped what I was doing, apologizing profusely and giving her tummy rubs. I felt horrible.

Once I was done, I poured dog food into her bowl and she began eating. But once I brought my dinner over to the table, she lost interest in her food and wandered over to see what I was eating.

"You've got your own food over there," I said, pointing at her dog food. "This is my food." I continued eating but felt like I was being watched. I glanced down and saw Little Amy staring at me with her big, round eyes. "Why?" I sighed. I gave in and gave her a piece of meat which she ate quickly. "That's it. I don't have anymore!" I said, showing her my empty hands. "Go eat your food over there." She fell for it and began eating her food.

After watching TV and having a smoke out on the balcony, I stepped in and got ready for bed. I let Little Amy out for a potty break one last time and placed her on her bed. I climbed into my bed, turned off the lights, and pulled the duvet over me. Right as I was about to drift off to sleep, I could hear pawing and whining. I sat up and turned on the light, glancing down at Little Amy.

"What is it this time? D'you need to go to the toilet again?" I asked. I got up and opened the door to the balcony but she didn't move. After waiting a few minutes, I closed the door. I picked her up and placed her on her bed but as soon as I stepped away, she followed me. My brain was slow to connect the dots and I realized she wanted to go to bed with me.

"No way," I told her. "I bought you a bed to sleep in! It's not a cheap one either. I spent $40 on it." She continued looking at me with her begging eyes and I sighed. "Fine."

I scooped her up and brought her to the bed with me. She nuzzled her head into my chest and I pulled the duvet over us. I reached my arm out to switch off the light and held her, the warmth radiating off her body. I fell asleep to the rhythm of her breaths.

I was in the shadows and could see the glow of the kitchen light. I saw Ryan coming down the stairs, smiling. A plate of food in his hands.

"Amy, I'm here and I brought someone with me!" he shouted excitedly. You could hear Amy dropping whatever she held and she quickly ran up to her brother to give him a hug. "Careful! I'm holding your food!"

"I'm sorry!" she apologized. She let go, looked past her brother, and froze. Who is she looking at? And that's when I saw her. She was standing in the back wearing a long sleeve maroon dress with a gold necklace hanging around her neck. Her hair was barely past her shoulders, tied up into a half ponytail and I found myself staring.