MARCH 23, 2012 - 3 YEARS BEFORE

I POURED THE remainder of the coffee pot into my travel mug, filling it until it kissed the rim.

My fingers trembled slightly as I screwed on the lid, feeling my heartbeat thudding away in my chest. Glancing over my shoulder at the kitchen clock, I realized that school had officially ended thirty minutes ago, not that it mattered. I'd stayed at home all day, alternating between hiding in my room beneath layers of warm blankets, and pacing the hallways with furrowed eyebrows.

Murphy was at the vet.

It wasn't entirely uncommon—over the years since Murphy had joined our family, he'd made a plethora of trips to the veterinarian, but it was rarely anything serious. This time was different. I'd noticed the faint limp in his gait several weeks ago, and at first, I wasn't too concerned. However, when it continued to steadily worsen, I knew it was time to do something about it.

He'd been diagnosed with a luxating patella, and required immediate surgery. The surgery itself wasn't extremely high-risk, but it was the possibility that anything could happen to Murphy, whether it be something big or something small, that was enough to have me coming apart at the seams.

Murphy was my best friend.

He was my silent companion, always by my side without judgement, regardless of the circumstance. It hadn't been hard to convince my parents to get a dog; I'd made the case that since I was an only child, it was only fair that I was provided with some form of company. Ever since then, we'd nearly been attached at the hip.

The thought of losing him was unbearable, even though I knew it would happen someday.

My mom was accompanying him while he went through his procedure, insisting that I go to school as usual, knowing I'd be an absolute wreck if I hung out in the waiting room all day. But it was no use, I was an absolute wreck regardless.

I didn't have the energy to go to school, nor the mental capacity to focus on anything other than my dog, so I'd opted to stay home, refraining from telling my mom and dad. It wasn't like me to skip, I had nearly perfect attendance, but I figured it would be alright to make an exception this one time. My grandfather was the only one around and he'd had no qualms about me staying home.

Now that the school day was officially over, I was headed straight for the doctor, no longer having to keep up the pretense that I'd gone to class.

I grabbed my tote bag from the counter, slinging it over my shoulder as I gripped my travel mug tightly in my free hand. I gave the house a once over, calling out a goodbye to my grandpa, and pulled the front door open.

The journey to my car only lasted a few steps before I came to a full stop, taking note of the figure standing on my front lawn.

Will froze in his tracks halfway up the drive, hands stuck in the pockets of his hoodie, a look of surprise darting over his features.

In my frantic state of mind, I still somehow managed to feel embarrassed over my appearance. I hadn't intended on seeing anyone besides my family, and the other pet owners in the waiting room of the clinic.

"Will?" I said cautiously, startled by his unexpected presence.

His cheeks flushed a little. "Hey," he greeted, sounding timid, and we slowly closed the distance between us once the initial shock wore off.

"What are you doing here?"

Will's shoulders lifted slightly, and his brows pulled into a look of concern. "I noticed you weren't at school today. . ." he began, trailing off uncertainly. "I was just going to text you, but then I happened to run into Claire uptown, and she told me what was going on. She also told me where to find you, so I thought I would just pop in to see how you were going."

I blinked, feeling stunned, the hold on my bag loosening slightly. He mistook my silence for discomfort, grimacing and shaking his head.

"Sorry," he apologized quickly. "I don't know why I didn't just send a text. It was weird of me to show up uninvited. I should go."

He began to turn around, heading back down the drive, and I took a hurried step toward him before he could get too far, holding up my hand.

"No, don't leave," I said, and he paused again, footsteps faltering. I fixed him with a gentle smile. "I really appreciate you stopping by."

My words of approval relaxed him, and he faced me again, bright blue eyes scrutinizing my expression, before melting into sympathy. "How are you holding up?"

The simple question was enough to make tears spring up behind my eyes. "I probably look pathetic," I remarked, forcing a laugh. "But I'm really worried. I won't be able to relax until this is over."

Will's lips curved upward softly. "You never look pathetic, Vivienne," he told me, causing my cheeks to warm. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I took in the sincere expression on his face, my chest full at the idea of him even taking time out of his day to come and check up on me. He'd already done enough, by a mile. But now that he was here with me, I realized I really didn't want him to go.

"I was actually on my way to the vet," I told him, toying with the car keys in my pocket. "Would you want to come with me?"

He nodded without hesitation. "Of course, anything you want."

The drive to the vet was mostly quiet, save for Will asking a few questions about Murphy's condition, and the dog himself. In all of my conversations with him, I'd found that he had a genuine curiosity about my life, and really seemed to enjoy learning about it. I hadn't done well to return the favor.

I knew next to nothing about him, save for some things about Australia, and his friendship with Duncan. I wanted to know more—I wanted to know everything.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the clinic, I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was looking out the window, watching the world outside, seemingly at ease. We hadn't seen each other all that much since our boating adventure in the rain, but he always made an effort to seek me out at school, even if it was only for a thirty second conversation.I couldn't deny that it felt good to have him sitting in the space beside me. It felt right.

After putting the car into park, I exited the vehicle with Will, and we made our way to the front entrance. Instantly, I was reminded of the reason we were here at all. Murphy. My stomach twisted with trepidation as I tried to spot my mother in the small waiting room.

It only took a few moments for me to locate her, sitting in the corner with a frown etched into her features, and I quickly ushered Will in her direction. She looked up as we approached, doing little to hide her surprise. She immediately checked the time on the phone in her hands.

"Vivienne," she remarked. "You're here already?"

I shared a brief look with Will; we were both aware that I hadn't attended school at all. "I came as soon as class ended," I explained, feeling a twinge of guilt.

Her wide brown eyes landed on the boy next to me, as if just noticing him for the first time. She lifted her fingers to push her glasses further up her nose timidly. "Who's this?"

It was a simple question, and yet suddenly, I wasn't entirely sure how to answer. I looked at him again, and his blue gaze watched me intently, waiting for me to make a clarification.

"This is my friend Will," I settled on finally.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Abbott," he said, quick to follow my lead. With a smile that was both charming and sympathetic, he reached forward to take her hand and she stood up, shaking it.

Mom looked back at me curiously, and I didn't blame her. I'd never had friends of the male persuasion, and it was rare for me to bring anyone that wasn't Claire along with me somewhere. I was sure she'd be asking for more of an explanation later on, when we could speak in private. Until then, it was in my best interest to change the subject.

"How's it going? How is he?" I asked.

She placed a comforting hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze. "He's fine. They should be finishing up soon, then they'll monitor him for a little while."

"Okay," I breathed, feeling more at ease than I did before, though I wouldn't be able to truly breathe easy until I saw him again. "That's good."

Taking a closer look at my mother, I registered the weary expression on her face. The worry lines etched into her skin seemed more prominent, her shoulders slouching slightly. Spending the day in a waiting room was bound to have an emotional and physical toll.

"Mom, why don't you go out for a little bit? Get something to eat?" I suggested, before glancing at Will, who nodded approvingly. "We can hold down the fort while you're gone."

She looked surprised once more, eyes flickering between the two of us. "Oh, that's alright," she stammered. "I don't want to leave you here. . ."

"Seriously," I persisted, taking hold of her hand. "You deserve a break."

Reluctantly, she reached for her purse. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a change of scenery. Are you sure?"

"Go," I urged gently.

After giving us one last look to see if we were going to be okay, my mom eventually left the waiting room and exited into the cool spring air, leaving Will and I to ourselves.

"Don't feel like you need to stay the whole time," I told him sincerely. I was sure he could find better ways to occupy his time than waiting around to hear the surgery results of a dog he didn't even know existed before today. "You can let me know when you want to leave, and I'll drive you."

"Nonsense," he protested, taking a seat in an open chair as if to prove his point, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm here if you are."

The words caused my heart rate to increase as I took the seat next to him. For a few beats, we remained silent, taking in the quiet commotion of the waiting room, listening to people being paged over the intercom, and watching children play with toys in the kids area while parents looked on.

"Thank you," I murmured, after a pause. "It's nice to have some company."

"Don't mention it," he replied, slouching in his seat a little and stretching out his long legs. "So, how long have you had Murphy?"

I leaned back in my seat. "Six years, maybe? I think I was twelve," I said, recalling the day he rode next to me in his kennel for the first time as I bounced with excitement, eager to get home. "Honestly, I can hardly remember life before him."

He hummed in acknowledgement. "My parents never allowed pets, but I've always wanted a dog," he admitted wistfully.

I perked up a little. He'd just unwittingly opened the door for me to get to know him better. I lifted my legs onto the chair, crossing them and resting my hands in my lap.

"Tell me more about them," I urged gently. "Your family, I mean."

Will looked caught off guard. He laughed lightly, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "My family?"

"You've never talked about them. We always talk about mine."

"Fair enough," he conceded. "Well, it's just my dad and I here. I have two older brothers, they're back in Australia. My mom, too."

"Oh," I said, surprised. "Do you think they'll ever come visit?"

He laughed shortly again, though it sounded more bitter the second time around. "Not likely." He paused, glancing at me, as if internally deciding how much he wanted to divulge. "My parents got a divorce shortly before we came here. My mom. . . she had an affair."

"Oh no," I mumbled sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, for some reason, my brothers ended up taking her side." He made a face of annoyance, shaking his head. "She acted like it was something that happened to her, not something she participated in. But it's not like it was a drunken, one-time thing. It was continuous, it went on for years."

"God," I uttered softly, shaking my own head. "That must've been awful."

"It was," he agreed. "It still is. I was really angry. And it completely broke my dad. He'd been offered to transfer here for work a long time ago and declined it because my mom didn't want to move. But after everything went to shit, he saw no reason to stay. I didn't want him to be alone, and I didn't want to live with my mom, so I came, too."

There was still a lingering anger beneath the surface of his features, though it appeared he was trying to keep it at bay. "Do you miss home?"

"Sometimes," he admitted, his lips lifting in a rueful smile. "Not as much as I did at first. But it's also been really nice to start over in a place where no one knows who we are. There's no pressure to be anything in particular, no expectations. I like it." He paused, some of his regular light-heartedness returning to his eyes as he nudged me with his elbow. "Plus, the people aren't so bad."

I cracked a smile. "I'm flattered." I hesitated, thinking again. There was a question I'd been wondering more and more as we steadily grew closer, but it was one I'd felt afraid to ask, unsure if I wanted to hear the answer. "Are you going to go back to Australia after graduation?"

"That was the plan, but now. . ." he trailed off, his gaze intent on my face. "I'm not so sure."

My heartbeat jumped a little in my chest as I nodded, trying to be casual as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, noting the way his cheeks tinged with their usual light dusting of pink.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat, laughing awkwardly. "Sorry to dump all my family history on you."

"Don't apologize, it's nice to learn more about you." I stopped myself, cheeks warming. "Maybe nice isn't the word I should use considering the circumstances—"

"It's alright," he replied, grinning. "Thanks for listening, it was good to be able to vent a little bit."

"Anytime," I told him sincerely, lips curving into a soft smile.

I didn't know how long we talked after that. I was starting to learn that being with Will made time seem to lose all meaning, what felt like minutes could really be hours, and vice versa. But eventually, when my mom returned, she had to tap my arm repeatedly and call my name to get me to break free from a slumber I didn't even remember falling into. It seemed that somewhere amongst our conversations, my head had ended up on Will's shoulder, his head leaning on mine in turn, as we both dozed in and out of dreams.

We both blinked for a few moments, before realizing what had happened, and I was sure our cheeks were the same shade of red. Mom didn't say anything, but she gave me a knowing look, solidifying my hunch that she would interrogate me about the boy later.

However, all of the awkwardness was forgotten the moment she spoke.

"I just talked with Murphy's doctor," she informed us. "Everything went smoothly. He's going to be just fine."

A grin spread across my face, a sigh of relief escaping my lips as my shoulders relaxed completely. Will beamed back at me, and I was reminded again of how natural everything felt. It didn't feel as though there was a stranger intruding on a family moment, rather, it felt like he was meant to be here, like there'd always unknowingly been a space open for him, and now he was finally here to claim it.

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hi, friends!

i'm settling into my new house and slowly closing in on pre-written chapters, so updates will be more sporadic from here on out. but i hope you enjoyed this chapter!

thanks for reading, see you next time! ミ☆