Kreja barks excitedly and spins around in a circle, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. With a happy huff, he leans into the scratches. He perks up the second Lily’s name is mentioned. Acting like he lives here, he tries to push past Cameron and enter the house.
Ava makes several phone calls, asking everyone she knows about Kreja as she searches up and down the streets. No one has seen the pup and that only makes her even more worried. “Kreja!” She shouts, growing desperate. Where could he have gone? She decides to head to the library tower. Maybe he went there, he always did like to look out of the tower window.
Cameron let the dog pass, grabbing his phone and shutting the door. "Be careful with Lily, okay, Kreja? She's gotten very frail over the winter." He followed Kreja and sat down next to Lily again. The older dog barely lifted her head, but she sniffed meekly at Kreja as he approached, her tail thumping slowly. Cameron bit his lip and looked down at his phone, searching for Ava's contact and bringing it up. Hopefully she didn't block him.
Hey, I have Kreja. He knew she'd be worried sick.
Kreja trots right over to Lily, snuffling at her ears. He licks her cheek before flopping down and cuddling up next to her. The crazy dog’s tail doesn’t stop wagging for a second. He loves to see his best friend and this time apart has not gone over well with him.
Ava almost doesn’t hear her phone go off. She picks it up and checks it without hesitation. This very well could be information about Kreja. Relief floods her body when she reads that Cameron has Kreja. I’ll be right there. She sends the text before jumping onto her motorcycle and tearing down the road. Screw the speed limit, she needs her baby.
Lily's tail thumped softly at each every other tap from Kreja, with Cameron gently stroking her flanks. He smiled warmly at Kreja, who still looked young and ample. Maybe Cameron would get his next dog from a Russian breeder or shelter. Not that it really mattered, honestly. Lily had a really rough puppyhood, so of course she's suffering with all of these bone issues. Malnutrition ran deep in her life, but now was the end. When her muzzle was so gray there was no more white or brown markings on it. As Cameron petted her, he bit his lip again. He wasn't ready to let his dog go. But he had to.
Ava arrives at the house in record time. A few traffic lights and stop signs had been ignored but it doesn’t matter in the slightest to her. She jumps off of her bike, barely taking time to make sure that it’s properly parked, and darts over to the front door. “Cameron!” She calls out as she knocks loudly a few times. It’s really hard to give a single shit about being mad at him when she’s this worried about her dog. Hell, she’d drop to her knee and beg if it means getting her little baby back.
Cameron jumped out of his thoughts, swallowing a lump he didn't realize that had been there since he had fallen into his thoughts.
"I'm in the back!" He called back to her, looking back down at his pup and sighing sadly. He would have to think about it eventually; he needed to euthanize her. She was miserable, every time she tried to use her paws she would limp or whine. The vet predicted she would stop eating soon because of the pain. He might as well shorten that time. Before he knew it, his lip was quivering beneath his teeth.
Ava heads around the side of the house until she reaches the backyard. “Is he okay?” She asks, worry shining in her eyes. The second she sees Kreja, she runs over and gathers him in her arms. “You little jerk, you had me worried sick!” Pressing kisses all over his head, she flips him over on his back and cradles him like the big baby that he is. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” She murmurs, holding him close. Not once does she look over to Cameron. However, she does notice the poor shape that Lily is in. She carefully sets Kreja on the ground before kneeling down next to the old dog. “Hey, sweetie.”
Cameron ducked his head away when she exploded onto the deck, wiping his eyes desperately and inhaling slowly. He would have time to grieve later, when Ava was out of his life again. Though he kept a hand buried in her fur, stroking it with his thumb. Lily didn't move her head but her tail thumped a little bit more at the smell of Ava, barking very softly.
Before Ava could finish talking, Cameron stood and walked inside without another word. He couldn't think about it without breaking down. He couldn't even look at the poor dog. He was so confident she'd be okay, but there she was, suffering outside.
“Oh, baby, what happened to you?” Ava asks softly, growing worried at Lily’s condition. It doesn’t help when Cameron enters the house without a word. She presses a gentle kiss to Lily’s head before standing. “Kreja, keep her company. And don’t run off this time,” She commands him quietly before she turns and heads into the house. “Cameron, what’s going on?” They may not be on good terms with each other but she’s willing to put that behind her right now since she loves Lily and the dog is clearly suffering.
Cameron had walked inside to make himself a smoothie of various fruits he found around the kitchen. They were nice and bright, plus fruits were always the right amount of sweet to make him feel better. He didn't glance back at her when she spoke, but he sighed faintly.
"I'm going to be euthanizing her soon," He mumbled through chopping a lime. "She has some kind of bone-marrow cancer that's too severe to fix, and it's extremely painful for her. Her bones are literally breaking down. They didn't catch it until about a week ago. It's been happening since a couple years, it just… took a while to develop."
Ava stiffens the second she hears what he has to say. “You’re going to…..” She trails off, unable to bring herself to say the words. Glancing over her shoulder, she looks out onto the porch where the dogs are snuggling. She lowers her gaze, the thought of Lily being put to sleep really hurting. She knows that if Cameron has come to this decision then Lily must really be suffering. “When are……when are you going to have her put down?”
Cameron looked up from the lime once it was cut, inhaling it through a eye-full of tears, trying to calm himself down with the sharp tang of the lime. He set it back down to chop it up more before putting it into the blender to blend with the rest of the fruits thrown in, putting the blender on low.
"Thursday." It was currently Tuesday. "I wanted to put her out of her misery as soon as I could," He murmured through his shaky voice, inhaling sharply again and shaking his head.
Ava stares down at the floor for several moments. Thursday really is soon. She steps over to him and very lightly rests her hand on his arm. “Cameron, I know that we’ve been fighting but I’m here for you,” She says quietly, her words barely a whisper. This is hard on her so it must be almost unbearable for Cameron. “Just….if you need anything then call me.”
Cameron inhaled shakily and shut his eyes, nodding slowly. "Thank you Ava," He whispered back, a tear flicking out of his eye. He wiped his face and shook his head, sniffling softly and opening his eyes again. "Do you want any of this smoothie?" He asked her softly. He didn't want to think about it until the time came. It was going to hurt like hell, but… it gave him a chance to start new. He knew what to do for bigger dogs, he knew how to care for them and… he can help even more. Lily was the start.
Ava’s hand lingers on his arm for a moment let before she let’s it fall back to her side. Emotions aren’t really her strong suit but she wants to be there for Cameron and Lily. She blinks once before nodding. “Yeah, I would.” Staying over for a few minutes might give them a chance to talk. She wants to help, she really does, but trying to figure out how to go about doing that will be hard.
Cameron watched the fruits blend together, zoning out at the flashes of color. He'd be alright. He'd survive without his pup. He just needed to get more. He wouldn't be able to live without the Lily-shaped hole in his heart, nor did he want to replace it, but he would need to. He wouldn't be able to function without a high-energy pup. Besides, Ava and Kreja would help too. Cameron sniffled softly and shut his eyes again.
Ava glances over her shoulder a few more times to check on the pups. She doesn’t want to think what’s going to happen in a few days. With a soft sigh, she turns back to look at Cameron. It doesn’t look like he’s handling this well, and she can’t blame him, but she doesn’t know what to do or say. It’s not like she can make the pain stop. Loosing Lily is going to be hard and no one can make it not be.
Cameron stopped the blender after a few seconds, dragging the blending unit down and pouring it out in two cups. He handed her a cup, sitting down on the porch again, his big feet tapping the floor gently. He sat down with a sigh, sipping it.
"I'm gonna miss you, Lily girl," He mumbled over his drink. Lily's tail stopped thumping for a few seconds, and she whimpered softly, sensing her owner's pain.
"It's gonna be hard for me, but I can do it."
Ava accepts the cup before silently following him out of the house and onto the porch. She sits down a little ways away from him, fidgeting a little. Tears start to gather in her eyes when she hears him talk to Lily. She hates to see him like this and she hates seeing Lily suffer. With a soft sigh, she sets the cup down and tries to focus on anything other than what’s going on with Lily.
Cameron stretched over and gently stroked his pup's head. "Ava, can I ask you something?" He suddenly asked softly, glancing at her. "I know you probably don't want to think about this, but our second time apart got me thinking. You really make me happy. I haven't felt better in the week I knew about Lily's condition. So… um… I wanted to ask if we– I can be your boyfriend." He really needed someone to lean on, and Ava was that person.
Ava looks over to Cameron and nods her head a little. “Yeah, what is it?” She asks, lightly tapping her fingers against the porch. Surprised by his question, she remains silent for several long moments. That’s not what she was expecting in the least. For a moment, she’s honestly not sure if he’s being serious or not but she doubts that he would joke about this, especially right now. “I…..I would like that.”
Cameron didn't look up at her until she agreed, tilting his head up at her with a meek little smile. It felt nice on his face, that had constantly been frowning heavily.
"Really? Even after… everything?" He asked softly, wanting her to think of everything. He'd be in a really rough patch after Thursday, but he knew with her help he'd be able to launch off with new puppies in no time. He knew he was going to be dependent on her to be there for him, and he might as well have made it official.
Ava nods her head. “Even after everything. I know that we’ve had some big fights and that things have been……rough between us lately but I never wanted you out of my life. You make him feel comfortable and happy,” She tells him, allowing a soft smile to appear on her face. “I’m always going to be there for you, Cameron, always.”
Cameron let his smile match hers, almost in shaky relief. "Thank you. I… I really needed something good to rely on. It feels like destiny has just been throwing everything bad at me since I came back from Russia. But I know I'll recover. With you at my side I know I'll be okay."
(Alright so this is the last skip I'm going to suggest because I literally cannot go on with Lily passing away (also this is a great place to skip). I was just thinking maybe it's a few months later? I can start.)
(I’m with ya there. Having to play out Lily passing away would be way too sad. Yeah, a few months later sounds good!)
It was a sleepy early morning in June where one could see Cameron sitting at his kitchen table with his credit card out. That was never really a good sign, like ever, but he had stopped with spending sprees recently. Lily had been euthanized peacefully and cremated to be homed in the most expensive grave Cameron could ask for, with her name engraved on the side. He had her ashes in a very safe place, near the nightstand, standing loyally along with her small St. Bernard trinket that Ava had purchased. Cameron had recovered well, with Ava at his side. In fact, he had gotten up early not to disturb her with his phone call. Ava had decided to come down for a couple weeks with him for his birthday, which was quite nice.
The feeling of Kreja sitting on her chest and demanding breakfast is what abruptly wakes Ava from her peaceful slumber. “Kreja,” She groans, gently pushing him off of her. This does nothing to stop him from licking her face and nudging her with his nose until she gets out of bed. Ten minutes later, she’s dress and ready for the day. She heads down the stairs, her energetic pup right on her heels. Kreja barrels into the kitchen, barking excitedly. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” She says, yawning. What greets her is the sight of Cameron on the phone with his credit card out. That’s not great. “Good morning.” She presses a quick kiss to his cheek before feeding the very impatient Kreja. “What are you doing?” Hopefully it’s not something too crazy.
Cameron laughed into his phone after reading off his credit card info. "I know, that's the dog I was telling you about. They'll love him. He's an older dog but he's still super energetic," Cameron cooed into the phone, smiling at Ava when he got a kiss on the cheek, gently touching hers in response. "Alright, I'll pick them up later today, then. Yep, I already bought collars and beds, and their food. Yep! Thanks so much, I'm really excited." He hung up and grinned at Ava.
"I'm getting puppies! They're two wonderful girls who are already spayed and house-trained. I forgot to tell you, though you could have guessed by the beds I have up in the room," He hummed thoughtfully. "But I used my card and I supposed it'd be my somewhat early birthday present." He stood up and stretched with a yawn. "But I wanted to surprise you, which is why I got up earlier than what we usually do."
Ava heads over to the coffee machine and fights with it for a moment or two. She’s finally gotten to the point where she can work the damn thing without bribing the house down. Once she’s retrieved her mostly creamer coffee and another mug of coffee for Cameron, she sits down at the table and waits for he to get off the phone. She takes a sip of the steaming liquid before silently passing him his. “You’re getting puppies?!” She completely light up. “How old are they? What are their names? What breed ?” It’s hard to stop the rapid fire of questions. She ultimately forgets all about the coffee. Who needs caffeine when puppies are being brought up?
"Thanks babe!" He forgot about his coffee at the questions, beaming. "I got goldies! They are just the cutest things ever! I know one of them is named Rosy but I think we'll be able to name the second. They're a few months old, and they're ripe for more training and really excited to learn! They're really smart and they're finally ready to be adopted off away from their mom and dad. I was sent pictures of their parents, they might get really big, but that's okay. They are just so adorable!" He pulled up a picture of the two puppies. They were certainly little goldie puppies, with the shiny golden fur with small splotches of white all over their bodies.
"The one on the left is Rosy," He informed, pointing to the pup. She had less splotches and she was giving a big doggy smile to the camera, her tail wagging so clearly in the picture. "Her sister's the unnamed one, and I wanted to name her with you." The one on the left was also giving a doggy smile and wagging her tail, and there were white splotches all over her, on her face and body, but she was still shiny and fluffy-looking.
