Post by Danielle Basch on Aug 27, 2017 2:54:03 GMT -5
Animal Shelter
Long Beach, CA
Friday, August 25, 2017
A handful of people are standing in the lobby of the animal shelter, some visiting with some of the dogs, while others are busy filling out paperwork. Amongst the crowd, Danni LeBlanc and Donovan Basch make their way through the lobby, on their way to the room where all of the adoptable cats are held.
Donovan: Danni, are you sure about this? I mean, shouldn’t we do research on the various cat breeds to make sure we’re picking the right one? And then find a reputable breeder?
Danni: Actually, this is the same rescue group that Sable and Angus came from. There are plenty of animals here looking for homes, so what better place to start than here?
Donovan: Well, since you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. Question is, where do we start?
Danni: Well, I guess we just look around at the pets they have, and see if any of them take a shine to us.
Donovan: I just hope that whichever one we pick is okay with dogs....
Danni: At least we won’t have to worry about that on Sable and Angus’ end.
As they look over the available cats, Danni spots a small, long-haired white cat sitting in one of the cages. He eyes Danni warily, slowly slinking toward the front of the cage. Danni reaches toward the bars in the door, but the cat withdraws back into the corner.
Danni: Hey, what about this white one over here?
Donovan looks at the cloudlike feline, stroking his goatee in contemplation.
Donovan: I don’t know... he looks a little skittish.
Danni continues to try to coax the cat to approach, but to no avail.
Danni: Well, maybe he’s like you and it just takes him a while to warm up to people.
She stands up, a somewhat dejected sigh forcing its way out of her mouth.
Donovan: Very funny. Still, don’t you think we should look for a cat that’s a little... oh, I don’t know... more social?
Danni continues looking over the various cats in their individual cages, stopping dead in her tracks at one containing a handful of young kittens. A couple are curled up in a blanket in the far corner, blissfully asleep. Another pair are wrestling each other, while a fifth one, a little brown tabby with white paws, quickly approaches the door, sticking a single paw through the bars.
Danni: Coming out of YOUR mouth, that’s the very definition of irony. Hey!
Danni bends down, reaching eye level with the kitten, who is now rubbing his head against the bars. Danni reaches up with her finger, sticking it through the bars to rub the kitten’s head between the ears.
Donovan: What?
Danni: Come over here and take a look at this little guy!
Danni hurriedly beckons Donovan over to where she is standing. As soon as he reaches her, he sees the kitten and smiles.
Donovan: Well, he certainly seems to be an energetic little one.
The kitten notices Donovan, letting out a series of high-pitched meows as he tries to stretch his paw in Donovan’s direction.
Donovan: And vocal, as well.
As they’re looking at the kitten, one of the shelter’s employees approaches the couple, a broad smile on his face.
Employee: Hi! My name is Dylan. Would you like to see one of the kittens?
Danni: Yeah... we’d like to take a look at this little guy right here at the front.
Danni turns around, and as soon as she does, Dylan’s eyes light up. Danni also looks at him and gets a sense of familiarity.
Dylan: Hey! I remember you! You’re the one that adopted Cocoa and Fennel after that photoshoot a few months ago!
She laughs a little, nodding her head as Dylan opens up the cage and pulls out the little brown tabby. He closes the cage and hands the kitten to Danni.
Danni: Yes, I am. By the way, their names are Angus and Sable now.
Danni turns to Donovan, who can’t help but smile as he and Danni lavish attention on the kitten.
Dylan: How are they doing?
Donovan: They’re still as rambunctious as ever. Only now, they have their own private beach to dig up.
As she holds the kitten with one hand, Danni gestures toward Donovan with the other.
Danni: This is my fiancé, Donovan.
Donovan: Yes; I had to go through canine inspection before I was “allowed” to date her.
Danni passes the kitten to Donovan, who chuckles in spite of himself as the kitten proceeds to climb up the front of his shirt toward his shoulder.
Dylan: I can only assume you passed....
Danni: With flying colors, I might add. Anyway, we figured it was time to add to the family, so what better place to come than the place where I got my first fur babies?
She reaches up, scratching the kitten under his chin as he sits like a parrot on Donovan’s shoulder.
Dylan: I couldn’t have said it better myself! You’ve been one of our most talked-about adoption stories here, so the fact that you came back to adopt another pet makes it even more of a success.
Dylan looks at Donovan, smiling at the bond being formed between the kitten and his potential humans.
Dylan: So, you two are both wrestling tomorrow night?
Danni: That’s right. I have a title match for the South Bay Championship, and he’s in a tag team match.
Dylan: I’m surprised you two haven’t formed a tag team, yourselves...
Donovan: We prefer to wrestle on our own and make our names in this business that way. It keeps us from being known as strictly “tag team” wrestlers.
Donovan rolls his eyes.
Donovan: But getting back to the previous subject, our wedding will be here in Long Beach, so we’re going to meet with some of our wedding vendors while we’re in town.
Dylan: Sounds like you two have been making the most of your time out here.
Donovan: We try to make the most of our time whenever we travel for a show. And since the company we wrestle for is going to be hosting regular shows in Long Beach... hey, now!
A strand of Donovan’s hair falls down in front of the kitten’s face, prompting him to bat at it like a dangling piece of string.
Danni: Oh, that does it! I think our search is over!
Dylan: Great! Now, if you’ll just follow me; here, I’ll take him...
Dylan reaches over to grab the kitten, despite the fact that the kitten has dug his claws into Donovan’s shirt, meowing in protest at being moved.
Dylan: We just have some paperwork for you two to fill out. How long are you going to be in town?
Donovan: Until Sunday.
Dylan: Excellent! That will give us plenty of time to process your adoption application. It’s just a formality, really.
As Danni and Donovan follow Dylan out of the room, Danni smirks at her fiancé.
Danni: And you wanted to go to a breeder....
Donovan shrugs as he and Danni walk out into the hallway.