Chris hysterically laughed at the crazy dogs playing tag with one another and their extremely funny barks when they would finally catch each other. 

     “Tonks! Calm.” Chris demanded one of the dogs. 

     "Tonks is hilarious, no doubt,” Jason, Chris’s shift leader, said as they all laughed together. Just as Chris was about to run throughout the yard to play with the dogs, her phone rang. Her job never allowed phones, so she ignored the extremely loud buzzing that caused all of the dogs to tilt their heads and radically sniff her pockets. After a brief pause, the buzzing started once again. “I’m sorry, may I take this?” Chris asked Jason.

     “You know the rules. No...” Jason said in a stern look. His tattoo infiltrated body did not make his intimidating tone sound any lighter. Chris, frozen and unsure what to think of his response, was interrupted in thought when Jason continued, laughing, “Oh, come on. I’m just kidding. Sure just make sure the managers can’t see you.” 

     Jason hysterically laughed at his sarcastic ability as he turned to the rest of the crew, “I got her good! She looked so sad, you’d think her puppy just died!” 

      Ensuring that she moved out of sight from the management windows that hovered over the play yard, Chris cornered herself between two tall wooden gates, she checked her phone and saw that it was her dad. Her heart automatically dropped. Her dad always abided by one mutual rule: no back-to-back calls during work or school, unless it was an emergency. Afraid, she clicked the small green button to return his call when he answered with a dull and shying, “Hello?”

     “What is it?” she automatically responded. 

     “It’s Molly. Let your job know, I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

Immediately, tears began to fall Chris’s eyes. Though Chris and her dad have known that this would always be the result of the 5-year-old tumor in her dog’s appendix, she still was not prepared for the news, which she was all too familiar with since the loss of her mother when she was 8. Chris held back her tears and made her way to the manager's office. 

     “Aaron?” Chris said as she poked her head through the door

     “Hi Chris, everything okay?” asked her manager in a worried tone. 

      “Well, not quite. Your favorite girl Molly has passed,” Chris replied, still choking back tears. Aaron’s face immediately sank. Molly was his favorite, as well as everybody else’s in the building. Her relationship with Bloomington Pet Hotel was decades longer than Chris’s. Her passing was simply hard for everyone to comprehend.  

     After all, news spread like wildfire through a place that small. As she went to the staff room to gather her things, her co-workers could not help but to give her condolences. After successfully escaping the ring of pity, she made her way outside to her dad. As soon as she got in the car, he greeted her with a warm, fatherly hug, where the scent of his warm, nostalgic cologne filled Chris’s nose. Chris could not help but cry. “It’ll be alright Munchkin. It’ll be alright,” her dad sighed. Once Chris calmed down, they made their way home, bonding over photos and videos of their dear Molly. 

     As night approached and Chris tried to sleep, she was constantly reminded of her jolly-spirited companion who was no longer with her. The scratches on the door she anticipated every night never happened, nor did the vigorous barking and whining at the animals in the pasture behind the house, and neither did the constant resettling that Molly would do at Chris’s feet during the middle of the night. Even as Chris would fall solemnly asleep, she would be woken by what she thought were the hilarious snores of Molly. In the midst of her insomnia, Chris just had one question, where does a gentle soul like Molly’s go after they leave Earth? The loss of her mother —a sweet, gentle, and passionate lady— made her even more curious. She often feels as if her mother is with her. And sometimes “feel” is an understatement. Chris knows it. 

     The next day, Chris decided it was fair enough to call into work. A place of yappy dogs and pure excitement was no match for Chris’s emotional distress. Chris picked up her phone to contact her job, and after the phone rang her manager Aaron answered. Chris was greeted by a loud, “Hi, thank you for calling ‘Bloomington Pet Hotel’, This is Aaron”

     “Hello, yes, hi Aaron. This is Chris. I won’t be able to make it today sorry,” Chris responded. 

      “Of course,” Aaron said. “I’ll let you off the hook today. Get some rest. However, since you have the next two days off I do expect you to be here on Sunday.” 

      Chris responded in an irritable, “okay,” and hung the phone up. She spent the rest of the day sulking in her bed with her blinds closed, even despite the bright and sunny day outside. After hours of playing games from the app store — which became boring very easily—her dad knocked on the door. 

      “Come in,” Chris said in a low voice. 

      Chris’s dad walked in and opened the blinds and spread the silk, red curtains. The bright light caused Chris to quickly cover her eyes and groan in irritation. Laughing at her reaction, he then sat at the edge of her bed and began to comfort her. 

      “I know I’m not as good at comforting you as mama was,” he said in an uneasy but reassuring tone. “But it’s going to be okay Munchkin. Molly was a great dog. Perfect in fact. Just imagine her running around heaven with mama, with that cute little heart nose,” he said longingly, “I'm pretty sure all of the dogs in heaven are jealous of her! That thought alone is what has kept me in good spirits!” he finished, laughingly. 

      “I know dad,” Chris said painfully. 

     “Well I'm going to the store, you’re free to come if you’d like… Actually, I’ve already started your shower water so get up!” said Chris’s dad, mischievously laughing. 

      Chris rolled her eyes and got up, trying to keep from laughing and breaking her pursed lips. 

      As Sunday approached sooner than Chris would have liked, she found it so hard to get out of bed. How on Earth was she supposed to be a fully functioning human being, after all, she was the only child; Molly was pretty much like a sibling to her. Chris had lost a sister, not a pet. Though Chris was not physically nor emotionally prepared for her first day at work since the loss of her dog, after all, she did go. And she did clock in. But it would be ridiculous if we failed to mention it was 30 minutes late, which is equivalent to a murder in the world of working. Aaron let her tardy slide that day, however, Chris could not seem to manage to come on time on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. 

      Finally, on Thursday afternoon when Chris went to work, instead of heading through the gates and down the steps to the havoc of huge dogs and small ankle biters who are convinced they weigh 200lbs, today Chris was stopped by Aaron. “Hey, Chris, come speak with me in my office for a minute,”. Chris immediately began to sweat and redden in her cheeks, she knew what this was about. Before even being able to take a seat, Aaron shut the door and immediately began. 

      “Chris, this is the fourth time this week that you have been late.” 

       Without the slightest chance to interject, Aaron continued, “No excuses, may I fail to mention the several complaints from coworkers because you have failed to do your job.” As Aaron continued, Chris could only think about her poor dog Molly, while also feeling deep guilt for her irresponsibility. 

     “I understand the loss of a pet. Needless to say, even a family member. Life will always throw curveballs at you. But one closed-door always opens another. I truly sympathize with you but it’s time to get it together. I would hate to let you go, but letting you slide with this behavior would put me in a worse situation. This is your final warning,” Aaron ended with a face of disappointment.

      “I understand. I apologize for my irresponsible behavior Aaron,” responded Chris. 

    Aaron opened up the door, gesturing to her she was free to leave. 

      As Chris made her way into the strong stench of wet dogs, loud barks, and gangs of dogs nearly knocking her over, one specific dog caught her eye. There was a tiny, adorable heeler mix just sitting in the corner. Peculiarly, the dog also had a heart-shaped pink nose just as her Molly did. “Hmm, must be a newbie,” she thought. Just as her thought began to disappear, the dog began to circle at Chris’s feet and ended the gesture by pawing at Chris’s leg. Chris could almost immediately cry. Molly would always do this when she wanted rubs or attention. Due to her visible spark of interest in this dog, her co-worker, Sam, came over and introduced the two. 

    “Chris this is Maisy. Her owners gave her to us, so now she’s up for adoption,” Sam finished. 

    “Really?” Chris questioned in disbelief. “This dog is the cutest! Did the owner say why they didn’t want her?” Chris asked. 

    “Well, they said they feel deeply that she would do better with another family. They just "felt it,” Sam said, using air quotes. “That’s it. And just left. Without this gorgeous dog!” Sam exclaimed while rushing to snuggle Maisy.

     Chris instantly sent her dad a picture of the mysterious dog to her dad. After he was amazed at the dog’s nose, Chris was motivated to catch the dog twirling at her feet on camera. “Watch this,” Chris responded to her dad. She waited for the dog to twirl once again at her feet, and made sure to record it. After she sent the video to her dad, her phone rang immediately. 

    “I might sound crazy Munchkin, but I know for a fact that that dog is Molly,” said Chris’s dad. 

     “I know dad. I had that same feeling!”, Chris exclaimed. “And dad you won’t even believe it; This dog is up for adoption. The only thing her owners said is that they felt like she was 'meant for another family’ and just gave her up, just like that,” Chris replied

     Chris’s dad was completely sold. “After mama died, I was one hundred percent sure that pure love could never die. But never in this way,” said Chris’s dad. “I’ll meet you at work once your shift is over. Talk to Aaron about the adoption process. We’re getting Molly back.”

     At that moment Chris’s instincts were justified. This dog was indeed Molly, returning to be with her once again.