Epilogue: Any Dream Will Do
"R-Runt," I gasped, stopping dead in my tracks. "H-how did you find me?"
It was the big mutt, standing there on all fours with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, as always. He snuffled a little, and I realized with a jolt of guilt that he still had thin, sharp lines crisscrossing his nose. "Gee, you're real easy ta' smell, Rita, yeah, definitely, definitely a familiar smell."
"I—I—" This was all going too fast. "But—why? Why'd you come after me?" Runt paused, cocking his head confusedly, and I lowered my face. "I'm—I'm a cat, Runt."
"Yeah, I know." My head snapped back up, and Runt leaned his head down towards mine, still wearing that blank expression and looking blissfully stupid. "But—but it's OK that you're a cat, definitely, definitely OK!" He rubbed his cheek happily against mine, then straightened back up. "'Cus, well, it don't matter much, nope, don't matter! 'Cus...'cus you're Rita!"
Somehow, I don't know, I think I knew what he meant. That mutt was too straightforward, telling his feelings to anyone who asked, no morals to confuse the matter. And that was something I—that I—
Reaching up, I ruffled his headfur, cracking a small, weary, but genuinely happy smile. "Thanks, Runt," I murmured, then looked up. The sky near the horizon was red, and already a blanket of deep blue was drawing over the city above us. "Geez, when'd it get dark?" I griped, then turned even as Runt settled himself down on his haunches. I made a short leap over to him, placed one paw on his back—and froze, staring down at one of my back paws. I'd made that leap at exactly the right distance to clamber onto Runt's back. Not one inch too short, not one inch too long. My rhythm was back.
"And it's about time," I mumbled, hefting myself on top of Runt's mountain of a spine. He straightened up again, stubby tail whipping along at tremendous speeds.
"Gee, Rita," he asked, tilting his head back to look up at me, "where're we goin' this time?"
"Eeeeeeeeeh...surprise me."
The big dog started walking off, then stopped with a jolt. It was all I could do to keep from flying over the top of his head, but for once I didn't mind. "Oh yeah," Runt panted, as if continuing some lost thought. "Rita, my mama was a cat. Well, I thought she was my mama, definitely thought. I just remembered when I was comin' after ya."
"Really?" I asked, interested. My tail twitched slightly. "What was her name?"
"Bernadettie!" the big guy woofed, his ears raising. "Definitely, definitely Bernadettie."
I paused. "My mother's name was Bernadette," I murmured, then shook my head. "Aaah, probably a coincidence. C'mon, Runt, let's go."
As Runt started sedately trotting away down the street, I felt the timing at last catch up to me. It had been a rollicking, confusing day, but, all in all, I don't think it could've worked out much better. Not even if it had been choreographed by Irving Berlin.
"I always said, yes ALWAYS said,
Someday we'd find a home
A human patting us on the head,
For YOU a big white bone."
In true Western style, we trotted off into the sunset. So I didn't know what was gonna happen tomorrow, or any other day. But who cared?
"But now I think my dream is different
As long as you are near—
Whenever we're together,
We're at home...right...here..."
Fin
