Meeting Chance Read online

  “Would she? You don’t know until you ask.”

  Aaron shrugged. “What’s his name?”

  “Little Dipper.” He laughed. “Because it looks like he dipped his tail in a can of paint.”

  “I like it,” Aaron agreed, laughing with him. “I was thinking Inky might be a cute—I mean cool—name for him.”

  “Inky is cute. Maybe whoever adopts him will change his name. It happens all the time. But enough lying around and playing. We’ve got work to do.”

  Aaron set Little Dipper on the ground and stood. He hated to leave him behind, but Finn was right. He had come here for a reason, and it couldn’t be all fun and games.

  Chapter Two

  Aaron had to change litter boxes as his first job at the shelter; he did it at home all the time, so he didn’t mind the smell, but the litter was different here. Instead of sand-like material, the litter came in the form of little pellets made from recycled newspaper. It made less mess than at home, and he considered switching his cat’s litter as soon as he ran out of the current brand.

  Working with Finn made the time pass quickly, and Aaron found himself completely at ease around him. Because of his scarred face and the reactions it drew from people, he usually had a hard time connecting with others, so it surprised him when he found himself chatting easily with Finn.

  “You should come to the bookstore and see me after school sometime. I work there Monday through Wednesday until eight.”

  “How do you manage it? I mean, school, volunteering, and a job? How are your grades?”

  Finn offered a sheepish grin. “I made the honor roll last marking period.”

  Aaron gaped at him in amazement. He struggled to keep his grades up and didn’t have a steady job. “You’re superhuman. I couldn’t do it.”

  “You could do it if you wanted to badly enough,” Finn said with a shrug. “My parents don’t have a lot of money, so I need to save for college. And I have the worst car imaginable. It barely runs, so I need to get it fixed all the time. But I guess it’s not so bad. It could be worse.”

  “Why do you volunteer if you need the money for school? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just concentrate on working?” Aaron closed the last cage and moved to put the scooper away while Finn tied up the old litter in a bag.

  “I want to be a vet. If I volunteer, it gives me a reference for my college applications. Whatever school takes me will know I’m serious, too. Plus if I’m going to school for veterinary medicine, I can be a volunteer vet tech here.”

  “That makes sense.” He couldn’t argue the logic and put his hands on his hips to wait for his next instructions.

  Not for the first time since they had started working together, Finn’s eyes darted quickly to the scars on his face. Aaron had to repress the sigh that built in his chest. “Go ahead. I know you want to ask.”

  “I’m sorry,” Finn muttered, glancing away. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

  “Most people don’t. I know—it looks pretty bad. But it’s a lot better than it was before. And no, it doesn’t hurt me anymore.” Except on some days when the scar tissue feels tight and pulls at my face.

  “What happened?”

  Aaron closed his eyes for a moment. Every single time he told the story, he relived it. People told him the memories would fade with time, but that wasn’t the case. The attack happened seven years ago and the visions were as fresh as if it had happened just yesterday. “When I was nine, our neighbors had a Dalmatian. It was a good dog, I guess, but it always wanted to play and didn’t know when to stop. One day, I was riding my bike in the street and the dog got out of the backyard. I don’t know how it did, but it came tearing out and chased me. I thought it just wanted to play, so I rode in circles and teased him. He barked like he usually did and jumped around. I slowed down a little to reach out and pet him, but when I did that, he snapped. He lunged at me and knocked me off my bike. My head hit the ground, but I had my helmet on. Maybe he wanted the straps from the helmet—I don’t know. I felt his teeth sink into my face and he snarled. I screamed for my mom and she came running. I couldn’t get the dog off me.”

  “What did your mom do?” Finn asked, a look of horror crossing his face.

  “She got him off somehow. I couldn’t see because I was bleeding so badly and trying to keep him from biting me more. She picked me up and ran for the house. My dad called for an ambulance and I remember part of the ride to the hospital, and then nothing.”

  “I’m so sorry. That…it must have been horrible.”

  Aaron offered a weak laugh. “You have no idea. I’ve been afraid of dogs ever since.”

  “If you’re afraid of dogs, why are you volunteering here?”

  “I guess I don’t want to be afraid anymore. The fear is…too big a part of my life. Everyone I know has dogs. I can’t hang out with my friends without sweating and shaking every time I see a dog or hear one barking in the backyard. I’m tired of it. I decided I needed to do this.”

  Finn smiled. “You’re a pretty tough guy, you know that?”

  “Tough,” Aaron said, with a scoff. “I can’t even walk into the dog room. That’s not tough in my book.”

  “Yes, but most people would either live with it or just go to therapy. But you’re facing it and giving back at the same time.”

  Aaron tilted his head, hands shoved deep in his pockets. “You know, I never thought of it that way.” He returned Finn’s smile with one of his own.

  “Well, stick with me and you’ll get over your fear in no time. I love dogs. Can’t have one in the apartment we live at, but I get my fix of them here. It’s sad to see the ones you get attached to get adopted. I mean, it’s great because they’re going to a good home, but at the same time you’ll probably never see them again.”

  “You mean like Inky—I mean, Little Dipper?”

  Finn nodded. “Yeah. Exactly. It’s hard when you first start. I would warn you not to get too attached like my mentor told me, but I know you won’t listen.”

  “What do you mean I won’t listen? I’m listening now, aren’t I?”

  “I didn’t mean it that way. Of course you’ll listen. But even if I tell you not to, it’s going to happen anyway. It’s impossible not to get attached. Just don’t expect the kittens to stay here forever. They go the quickest because no one can resist them. If you’re lucky, the owners will update us with pictures, but that’s about it.”

  Aaron shrugged. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Just looking out for you,” Finn said.

  *

  The rain had finally stopped when Aaron pulled into the driveway and parked next to his mother’s car. The lights were on in the kitchen, and a warm glow covered the front porch. Though exhausted, both physically and emotionally, pride coursed through Aaron. He had not gone near the dogs, but he had been in the building with them. He could hear them on the other side of the door, and after some time, he’d even relaxed. Being with Finn put him at ease. He just had one of those likeable personalities. It didn’t hurt that he was hot, too, with dark eyes and hair that half hid his eyes to make him look mysterious.

  “I’m home,” he announced when he walked in the front door. Immediately he removed his shoes and put them on the shoe rack. A sweet scent drifted through the house and teased his stomach. “Something smells great!” he called when his first comment got him no response.

  The house was suspiciously quiet, so he made his way to the kitchen. “Mom? Are you home?” The lights in the kitchen were all on, and a small cake sat on the counter with a candle stuck in it, lit, with the wax dripping onto the frosting.

  “Surprise!” came the shout from behind him, and he spun. His mother stood in the doorway, her face brighter than the candle on the cake. “Congratulations on your first day! How did it go?”

  Aaron smiled. Mom had always been so supportive of him, and it made him happy to know she’d be there for him, no matter what. “It went well. I got to work with the cats.”

  “Wel
l, blow out the candle! We’ll have a piece of cake and talk about it.”

  “What’s the candle for? It’s not my birthday.”

  “No,” she agreed, “but it is a momentous day for you. I thought the cake would make it even better.”

  Aaron blew out the candle and sat while his mother sliced the cake. She joined him at the table and they dug in while he told her about Maria, Finn, and the cats.

  “There’s this really cute kitten, Mom. They call him Little Dipper because his tail looks like he stuck it in a can of paint. I called him Inky, though. He’s really sweet and needs a good home…”

  His mother sighed and put down her fork. “Aaron, we’ve already talked about this. We can’t really afford another animal, and Midnight’s getting older. I don’t think he would like some little thing running around his space. Besides, you just started working there.”

  “Mom, please? Just come and look at him. He’s so friendly. And he’s with so many other cats, I’m sure he’d get along with Midnight just fine!”

  “Him getting along with Midnight isn’t the problem. It’s Midnight getting along with him. Look, sweetheart, I’m sure he’s a great cat, but you know money is tight since dad left…”

  Aaron hung his head and nodded. “I know, I’m sorry. I just thought…since we already have a cat, the litter wouldn’t be much more. They could share a box and the food…Midnight doesn’t eat much, as it is.”

  “The food and the litter we could manage. But the vet bills are something different. The last time Midnight got sick it cost a lot of money. What if this kitten isn’t healthy?”

  Once again, his mother had a point. Aaron couldn’t argue with her, but he still felt disappointed. Maybe he could ask about getting a job.

  The phone rang and his mom reached over to answer it. “Hello?” she said as Aaron took a bite of his cake. She paused and shot him a glance. “Hi, Richard. Yes, he’s home now. I’ll let him tell you about it.” She handed the phone over to him and picked up her cake. “It’s your father. I’ll let you talk to him in private.”

  Aaron took the phone. “Hi, Dad?”

  “Hey, bud. How was the shelter today? I called earlier but Mom said you were still there. You hang in there all right?”

  He smiled and nodded though his dad couldn’t see him. “Yeah, it was okay. I worked with the cats. This other kid, Finn, showed me around the place.”

  “Did you get to the dogs?”

  “No, not yet. They told me I could get comfortable with the cats first, and then they’d slowly work me up to the dogs.”

  “That’s great news. I’m really proud of you, son.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Even though his parents divorced three years ago, he could still count on his father being there for him. He felt lucky. Some of his friends didn’t have one or the other parent in their life because the divorce had been messy. His parents both cared about him enough to keep their personal relationship out of their relationships with him. Because of that, he got to see them both, sometimes together. But he never once thought about them getting back together. He could see they were much happier without each other, and that was okay with him.

  “So you and this Finn kid…you get along all right?”

  “Yeah, he’s cool. He told me to visit him when he’s working at the bookstore.”

  “Sounds like someone who could be a real friend. Does he know?”

  “About what? The attack? Yeah, kind of hard to miss it, Dad. He asked what happened and I told him. Once he knew he stopped looking at my scars. I don’t think he’ll have a problem if I, you know, freak out a little bit around the dogs.” Aaron laughed quietly.

  His father sighed on the other end of the line. “That’s good. You need more friends like that, Aaron. People who won’t judge you for any reason.”

  Aaron knew the true meaning behind his words and nodded to himself. After he had been attacked and his fear of dogs started, most of the other kids seemed to understand. His friends Tyler and Caleb didn’t completely get it, but they seemed to accept him, even if they were a little wary. However, as they grew older and entered high school they told him to man up and get over it.

  Their judgment got even worse when he came out to them the year he had turned fifteen. He’d expected some resistance to the idea of his being gay, but they’d been friends for so long, he’d hoped they could get over it and support him like his parents had. But with each week that passed, they seemed to grow more distant. They started to do things without including him and then mention it in passing, after the fact. When he thought about it, he realized he couldn’t really call them friends anymore. He didn’t even remember the last time they had hung out together without his sexuality being brought up.

  “Does he know about the other thing?”

  “Dad,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “I don’t just come out and say, Hey, my name is Aaron, I’m afraid of dogs and I’m gay, to every person I meet.”

  His father chuckled. “Okay, you’re right. I guess that would be strange.”

  Aaron appreciated the fact that his dad at least tried to talk about his queerness. He was just so…awkward about the whole thing.

  “I’m sure it will come out some time. It always does.”

  “Well, if he understands the dog issue, I’m sure he’ll be fine with the other thing.”

  “Yeah.” Because those two things were so similar. Not.

  “Is there anything else you want to talk about?” Dad pressed.

  Aaron hesitated before launching into the story of Inky. He glanced at the door to the kitchen, feeling guilty about it like a four-year-old kid who stole candy from the store. But he really did want that kitten. His father listened quietly as he explained everything.

  “Sounds like a sweet animal. I’m proud of the work you’re doing, Aaron. Keep it up, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Can I talk to Mom for a minute?”

  “Sure,” he said, perking up. “Mom?” he called through the doorway. She appeared a moment later, Midnight trotting in after her, licking his lips like he’d just had some frosting. “Dad wants to talk to you.” She frowned but took the phone with her out of the room.

  Aaron struggled to hear what she was saying but gave up. He used his fork to pull the frosting off the cake to save it, then ate the cake and slowly licked the remaining frosting from the fork. He carefully scraped it against the plate to get every last piece of it off.

  When his mother returned a few minutes later he glanced up at her and tried to keep the guilt from his face. She sighed. “Aaron, sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

  He smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know either, Mom.”

  “What time does the shelter open tomorrow? We’ll go take a look at this kitten. Your father seems to think it’ll be a good thing for you. He’s agreed to pay for the vet bills if we’ll take care of everything else.”

  Aaron stared at his mom in amazement and then jumped up to hug her. “Thank you!” He hadn’t been expecting that reaction from either of them, even if he’d secretly hoped for it.

  “Thank your father, not me. He can still be persuasive when he wants to be. I just hope he comes through on those vet bills.”

  “Dad’s always paid, Mom. You know that. If he says he’ll do something, he will.”

  “Well, we’ll see. Besides, your kitten might already be adopted.”

  Aaron crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping that wasn’t the case. “Finn said people were looking at him but weren’t approved. He’ll still be there.”

  Chapter Three

  Even though it was Saturday, Aaron managed to get his mother out of the house early, and they arrived at the animal shelter shortly after it opened. He hadn’t been able to sleep half the night in the excitement of getting the cat, and he didn’t want to get there too late to show Inky to his mom and get the paperwork started. At a quarter after ten they pulled into the parking lot and slipped into the front door.
Aaron waved at the receptionist, Sandra, and asked if Maria was available.

  “She’s with a family right now, finishing adoption papers. She’ll be out in a few minutes if you want to wait.”

  He nodded. “We’ll wait. We’re here to fill out some papers, too.” He grinned. She smiled back at him.

  “I’ll let her know she has an appointment, then.”

  “Thanks. Is Finn here yet?”

  “Got here about an hour ago,” Sandra said, leaning back in her chair. “He’ll be working until five. He’s out back walking the dogs if you want to see him.”

  Aaron wanted to, but he also didn’t want to bother him while he took care of the dogs. “That’s okay,” he said, swallowing roughly. “I’ll wait.”

  Sandra shrugged as she picked up the phone and let Maria know she had a family looking to adopt. As she hung up the phone, she waved toward him and his mother. “She said she’d be out in five minutes. Just have a seat.”

  “You’re sure you want to do this?” his mom asked, sitting next to him in a hard plastic chair. “You can’t do this every time you find a cute animal, and you just started here.”

  “Yes, I’m sure. You’ll love the kitten, Mom. He’s really sweet.”

  “I’m sure I will. All kittens are sweet. It’s when they grow older and turn into cats like Midnight that they’re a problem,” she said, amused.

  A few minutes later they stood up when Maria walked into the room. She escorted a family with a cat carrier and shook their hands before they left.

  “Aaron! It’s good to see you, but your shift doesn’t start until two.”

  Aaron’s body shook as his excitement grew. “I know, but I’m here with my mom about an adoption.” He felt like he was five again, picking out Midnight from the litter at some woman’s house.

  Maria’s lips turned up pleasantly and she shook his mother’s hand. “An adoption? Well, isn’t that soon? Fell in love with one of the little furballs, did you? Let’s see what we can do, then. You know there’s a process that we go through, but I can see about expediting the paperwork.” She led them to the cats. “Which particular feline was it?”