Page 62 of Revival

"Sounds like you were an incredible young man," I say while throwing a ball to a black lab that decided to investigate the strangers in his playground.

"I grew up too fast for my own good. I had to. I came home on my seventeenth birthday to find my mother collapsed in the bathroom. She had been battling breast cancer but didn't want to worry me, so she never said a word. I lost her a month later."

"Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. My mother's death pushed me forward. I found an amazing artist who took me under his wing, brought me into his family, and made me the man I am today. As much as I miss her, I wouldn't change anything. Now, enough sad talk. We are here to find you a dog. Does anybody catch your eye so far?"

"Not really." I scrunch my face with disappointment. "What do you think about puppies?"

"I think I want to do everything in the world to make you smile like that every day. Let's head over to the Puppy Palace."

" There's a puppy palace? I think I may have just died and gone to heaven. Take me there, good sir," I tease.

Over in another barn, the women have converted old horse stables into puppy playpens. Each stall has its own set of puppies. Daniel and I peak over each gate like a Christmas morning surprise.

Looking into the last puppy pen, there are two tiny Pitbull puppies with no momma in sight. "Did we see their momma out in the yard?"

"Actually, no. These two here are our orphans," Macy explains. "We rescued their momma from a puppy mill out in the desert. She crossed the rainbow bridge giving birth to her last two pups. The white one is a girl, and the black and white one is our little boy."

"Can I meet them?" I ask.

"Of course." She unlocks the gate, holding it open for us. "I'll give you guys some time to get to know them."

Daniel and I sit on the floor across from the puppies. Daniel reminds me to wait to see if the puppy chooses me. The little girl is much more curious than her brother, jumping back and forth, thoroughly sniffing us to ensure we don't harm her and her brother. Realizing I hid treats in my pocket, I became her new best friend.

"I think she likes me." I laugh.

"It's not hard to do." Daniel leans over and kisses me. The tiny pup yips, jumping up and down, trying to come between us. "I think someone found their human."

"I think someone else has, too." The other puppy found his way into Daniel's lap and fell asleep.

"What do you think, dollface? Should we give these pups a forever home?"

My excitement can't be contained, and my yes comes out more like a squeal than a word.

"I'm bummed we couldn't take our babies home today," I say around a mouthful of pizza.

"Me too, but it's only ten days. It gives us plenty of time to figure out what we need," Daniel says.

"How far do you live from the beach?" I ask.

"Only a couple blocks. Want to go take a walk?"

"I'd love to."

Fingers linked, we walk to the beach. Sitting on the berm, we watch the waves crash on the shore. The moonlight dances along the water, providing the only light in the evening sky. I relish in the silence after the chaos of the last few weeks.

"I love the ocean. I always have. The life it provides on this planet is so abundant. It was always my dream to be a marine biologist."

"Do you ever regret not following your dreams?" Daniel asks.

"It's not something I've ever thought about. There's no going back, so why dwell on the what-ifs? I loved being a stay-at-home mom. I was always busy with the kids or my family."

"And now?"

I sigh and shrug. "I don't know. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I don't think I thought this through. R.V. living is tough. Way tougher than I thought. And I miss having a bathtub."

"Is that why you called the R.V. Cousin Eddie?"