Caramel Colored Lenses

Aubree surrendered to the warmth of the setting sun with heavy eyes and tear stained cheeks. Geese flew overhead against wind that danced with the cattail reeds and willow tree leaves. 

It was quiet. 

It was still. 

The world continued to move forward despite Aubree’s reluctance to believe it. 

It had nearly been a week since Westley moved out. Nearly a week since Aubree had stepped foot outside. It was the deafening quiet and stale air of the apartment that pushed Aubree to give in to the idea that fresh air might do her some good. 

Once outside, it quickly dawned on her that she did not know where to go that hadn’t left remnants of him behind. The diner where they had their first date … the thrift store where she had picked out his favorite sweater … the mom and pop coffee shop … Who knows how long it’ll take to forget his coffee order. This small town had been branded with their love and it was almost too much to bear. 

So, she walked. Walked with her head down past her neighbors, then on through downtown towards the outskirts of the city. It wasn’t until pavement turned to dirt and the nearest building was several yards away that she took in her surroundings. She hadn’t been down to the fishing pond since she was a kid, but maybe that is what she needed at that moment. 

– – – 

The sky, now bruised in hues of purple and orange, signaled that it was time to go home. Her heart sank at the fleeting sun. Nights were the hardest, especially since her sister left a couple days ago. She couldn't even remember how she spent her evenings before Westley. 

With a deep breath, Aubree lifted her heavy limbs from the ground, careful of the loose roots around the tree. Just as she was about to step over a particularly hefty log, something stirred in the nearby weeds, leaving her with one leg suspended in the air and a rapidly increasing heart rate. 

The weeds continued to move about, much more so that wind could not be justified, and Aubree silently cursed the darkness that was swallowing any remaining light. Squinting her eyes didn’t help either; they just seemed to be playing tricks on her, warping the weeds and god knows whatever was about to come out of them. 

Before she could leap over the log and make a run for it, the small creature finally emerged, soaking from the pond and covered in fluff from a cattail. A puppy, not much bigger than the size of a common house cat, shook its head and sent pond water into the air. It then flopped on his side, with one ear inside out and a long, pink tongue lazily hanging out the side of his mouth.

With slowing breath, Aubree lowered her guard and kneeled down, extending her arm out in front of her.

“Oh, hey there little guy… Are you lost?”

The pup's tail wagged slightly as he cocked his head at Aubree’s voice. Curious, yet cautious. Aubree remained a respectable distance away and took the opportunity to examine him. He was a little guy, couldn’t be much older than four months. Clumps of dirt and weeds tangled together in his caramel colored fur and his paws were caked in mud. 

Not a collar to be seen. 

“You don’t have a home now do you?” That all too familiar pit of sadness started to sink itself deeper in Aubree’s stomach. At least Westley wasn’t to blame this time. 

The puppy whimpered in response and laid his head between his front paws. 

“We’ve gotta get you taken care of now don’t we?” Aubree dared to inch closer until her hand was mere inches away from his nose. 

He sniffed one of her fingers before crawling closer and licking it. 

“That’s a good boy!” The sound of Aubree’s high pitched remark caused a blur of wagging tail and a soft yap. 

Aubree stood up, the puppy following suit on his own four legs. She took a few small steps, still worried that any sudden movement might cause the pup to bolt. Contrary to her nerves, the puppy bounced closer and sat at her feet, waiting for their next move. 

“Come here!” Aubree extended both arms and crouched down again. The puppy leaped into her arms and licked her face before tucking his head in the crook of her neck. 

“Let’s figure out what we’re going to do with you.”

– – –

Despite the obnoxious fluorescent lighting and barking from nearby rooms, Aubree’s eyes were starting to droop from the weight of today. What had started out as a small retreat from the trenches of her own apartment, turned into a rescue mission for the little guy currently trying to lick the last scrap of peanut butter from inside a Kong ball. 

“Alright…” The veterinarian cracked open the door and stepped in. “He’s not microchipped and so far tests have been coming back clean. With that being said … if you haven’t heard of anyone missing their dog, he’s all yours.”

Aubree sat in brief silence, thoughts racing around in her head. Could she really take care of a dog right now? She could hardly take care of herself … 

“If you’d like -” the young woman interrupted her thoughts, “We’d be happy to keep him overnight and submit his paperwork to the county shelter. He will be transported tomorrow afternoon. It might be a good place to start as many people will check there for lost pets. It also allows him a chance to be adopted if you’re not wanting to take him in. He would be picked up in a heartbeat.”

As if on cue, Aubree and the pup looked at one another - one ear inside out, muzzle covered in peanut butter and tongue partially stuck in the middle of the ball. 

That was all it took. 

“I’ll take him home.”

– – –

It was the little changes over the course of the following week that made Aubree’s heart sing. A bright blue leash now hung on the coat rack where Westley used to fling his jacket every day. A bag of dog food resided on top of the fridge, replacing tubs of protein powder. And now large floppy ears nestled into the pillow next to hers, no longer leaving the space empty and cold. 

Love may no longer have taken the form of another human, but that of paws tip-tapping on the floor as Aubree danced around the kitchen and of wagging tails when she came home from a long day of work. 

It was after one of those days of work, a hard one in particular, in which Aubree set out to turn her evening around and bake her favorite dessert: Oreo cheesecake. One can never go wrong with a good cheesecake.

“Okay mister, how many times do I have to tell you that Oreos are not good for dogs!” 

The pup, against his better judgment, adamantly gave Aubree his best puppy dog eyes at the base of her feet. 

“Nice try pal. Not gonna happen.” Aubree smiled and returned to crumbling the cookies when a knock sounded at the door. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and adjusted her bun so that it was sitting right atop her head. 

“Coming!”

Aubree opened the door, just slightly ajar so the puppy couldn’t run out, to find a young man, somewhere in his mid 20’s, nervously folding and unfolding a piece of paper. His light brown eyes locked on hers and she swore she could hear his breathing hitch in his throat.

“May I help you?”

His hand rose to the nape of his neck as a faint blush formed on his cheeks. “Um, I’m really sorry to bother you. I …”, he looked down at the paper and perked up as if he had just remembered what he was holding. “I’m new in town, just down the road actually. Unfortunately, one of the days when I was in and out, grabbing things from the van, my dog ran out. He ran so fast I didn’t even have time to process what was happening! I can’t find him anywhere and I’ve been worried sick. I’ve been passing out these flyers just hoping that anyone has seen him. He’s just a small little thing… only 5 months old and I am so mad at myself because I hadn’t gotten a chance yet to …”

Aubree blocked out his voice as she took the crumbled paper from his hand. 

Sure enough, on the front of the paper, was a picture of a puppy with shiny caramel colored fur and one ear turned inside out. 

Her body went numb as she robotically opened the door wider, revealing the puppy that playfully bounded towards the man. 

Aubree wasn’t sure what he had been saying in the last few seconds, but it didn’t matter. His wide eyes said it all. 

He immediately dropped to his knees and took the puppy in his arms while it licked his face. 

“Maverick! Oh my god, buddy! Where in the world did you end up!?”

Aubree looked down at the two boys, swallowed the lump in her throat, and forced herself to smile. 

“I had found him down at the old fishing pond on the outskirts of town last week. I took him to the vet and since they didn’t find a microchip, I took him here… He’s been a good boy.” Aubree blinked back tears and turned away before he could see. “Let me pack his things...”

The man looked up from the ambush of licks to take in her apartment. Toys littered the floor and the leash swayed against the wall from the breeze.

His face softened. “You did all that for him huh?”

Aubree bent down, picking up the mangled toy lion, still trying to keep her composure. “I just wanted him to be comfortable, that’s all.”

She forced a smile and untangled the leash from the hook. 

“Here.” She handed him the leash. “You’re gonna need this so he doesn’t take off again. And this lion has been his favorite so far.”

The man stayed silent, watching her with kind eyes and a soft smile. 

“I’ll go ahead and put the rest of the toys in a bag for you… and did you want his bowls? Or do you still have the ones you were using?”

“Let me take you to coffee tomorrow morning.”

The sudden, abrupt statement stopped Aubree in her tracks, hair nearly falling out of her bun. She turned around. 

“I -”

“As a thank you. You took such great care of him and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. And ... I mean, it’s not every day this trouble maker leads me to a beautiful girl’s doorstep.”

Aubree’s eyes shifted to the floor. Her face was reeling with heat and the damn bun was completely lopsided by now. 

Before she could answer, small paws ran across the hardwood, right into Aubree’s legs. Maverick leapt up, begging to be held. 

Her body eased as she picked him up and cradled him against her chest. Those puppy eyes would be the death of her. 

Now, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, the man persisted, “I mean, c’mon… how could you say no to that?” 

Aubree rolled her eyes and finally looked over at him again. Maverick wiggled in her arms. 

“Okay, fine. As long as I get to pick the place. I can show you the good spots in town.”

Maverick leapt from her arms and spun in circles between them, tongue dangling from the side of his mouth. 

Despite Maverick’s antics for attention, the man’s eyes remained fixated on Aubree as he smiled.

“Great. We’ll be here at 9.”