Beyond the Pain

Beyond the Pain - Chapter Two.

Chapter two.

I was so proud of my Holly, she had delivered eight beautiful, healthy pups, again. This would be her last litter, I could see the strain on her joints during the pregnancy. She kept going though, she lived for her babies, it made her so happy to see them take their first steps. I dried them off, feeling the warmth of their bodies through the towel and listening to their first squeals as Holly nuzzled their faces, licking their fur clean. Four dogs and four bitches. Perfect.

They were gorgeous. Probably one of the best litters. A few had Holly's ginger whiskers and a couple had George's salt and pepper colouring, but most were glossy black. They had beautiful square jaws and strong little tails, complete with tiny, but powerful, legs. I examined their pink noses and checked for any damage from the birth. They were all fine. I petted Holly's back and breathed in the smell of puppy.

“Good girl.” I said.

I have been breeding Giant Schnauzers for nearly four years and I couldn't have wished for a better outcome. My puppies have all sold brilliantly, going for £800 each and making great family pets. My dogs are my life, my friends and my family and what a bunch they are. There are four of them; Holly, the oldest Schnauzer, six years old and my favourite, follows me around like a shadow and has the sweetest nature; then comes George, my three year old Schnauzer stud dog and father to Holly's most recent litter, he is still as playful and full of energy as when he was a puppy and loves his ball; Dylan is my baby, one year old and great for entertaining the pups, goofy and bouncy, him and George are partners in crime; and last but not least comes Bess, a ten year old Irish Setter.

Bess was my in-laws' dog but they gave her to my husband, Nick, when they decided to go travelling, right around the world. We've had her for five years now, but I don't breed her, Nick takes her hunting. He didn't like her at first; she was crazy, like a boomerang, running from one end of the room to the other and back again, over and over. Nick used to get up at six every morning, walk straight past her and out to work, leaving me to walk her, feed her and cope with the mad dashes around the house, but she's grown on him over the years and now Bess never leaves his side and he loves it.

I met Nick seven years ago, when I was eighteen. We had both been roped along by our parents to join in the traditional country dance in the village hall. It was in St. Cleer, Cornwall, where we lived. We had gone to the same school, but had never really spoken properly, except when he wanted to borrow something off me, a pencil, rubber or ruler. I had always thought he was good looking. He had wavy brown hair, that fell across his eyes when he leaned over; olive skin, that he had inherited from his Caribbean father; and dark eyes that I stared into whenever he wasn't looking. Even though he was gorgeous in my eyes, most of my friends thought he was geeky looking, so I never told them I liked him.

My heart missed a beat when I noticed him there that night, standing in the village hall with his parents, watching the other girls from college dance with their friends. I remember wishing I'd had the confidence to dance with the others, even though I didn't know anyone. I caught his eye across the room, but he didn't look back for long. I convinced myself he wasn't interested in me. I didn't realise that he was just shy and the only reason he didn't look back at me was because he didn't want me to notice him blush.

I was thinner then, with frizzy, out-of-control hair that I usually clipped back. I felt a mess in my blue, floral, strapless dress. I sat in the corner with my parents and sipped Bucks Fizz as they chatted away to their friends. I hated trying to make conversation with people triple my age, so I looked the other way, watching the older girls dance with fit boys much older than them.

When I got really bored and couldn't bare the loneliness, I slipped outside. Nick was there and while I stood outside the door, shivering, he came up beside me and draped his coat over me. I was so shocked I could barely speak. I remember saying something along the lines of 'cold', then blushing and turning away. We got talking after a while and, although we were both quiet, we got on really well.