Puppy Love
I gasped for breath after finally tearing my eyes from him. As if possessed, they instantly riveted back to him. He smiled at me, and I opened my mouth to say something.
"Who are you?" was the first thing that popped out.
He laughed. Even his laugh was amazing.
"My name is Matthew. You can call me Matt."
"I'm Morgan."
"Why haven't I seen you here before?"
"I never knew this place existed."
"This store has been here for.... forever."
"No, this whole place. I was born on land."
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Isn't it horrible there?"
"No. I love it. I never knew any other place existed."
"Wow. Well, how did you find out?"
"My Mom brought me here."
"Who is your Mom?"
"Stacey. Her Mom's name is Celine."
"You're Stacey's daughter?"
"Yeah, did you know her?"
"She was betrothed to my cousin Derek. And, she helped to find my older
brother Andy when he ran away."
"Wow. But, you never met her?"
"No. I wasn't born yet when Derek died. The last time she ever came here, she was pregnant with you, and Mom was about to pop with me. No one ever
heard from her after that."
"She had a hard life. On her way to the hospital, her sister died. I guess it
was hard for her to come back, with all the memories, and everything. She never
even told me about this pace until today."
"So, it's your first time here?"
"Yeah."
"Has anyone showed you around yet?"
"Well, grandma Carolyn was starting to..." I trailed off, hoping he would
take the hint, and offer to show me around.
"Well, if it's okay with her... would you like to..." he trailed off. His tail
turned a faint red. I think he was blushing. "That is.... if you want to..."
"Want to what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Would it be okay if I showed you around?"
"I'd love that." I said sincerely, blushing.
I asked Grandma Carolyn if it was okay for me to go with Matt. She turned to look at us, and then caught my eye. I was inwardly pleading with her. She slyly smiled, and gave her permission. "But don't be gone too long."
Matt and I swam off, talking a mile a minute, and he promised he'd show
me everything there was to see. When I'd gasp at something, or make a big deal out of it, he'd smile at me. I knew he'd been around these things all his life, and he wasn't really that impressed with them anymore, but I was amazed by everything.
"I want to show you something very special." he said, taking hold of my
hand. I felt an electric tingle shoot through my body, warming me from head to fin. I swam faster to keep up with him, and relished the feeling I got just from holding his hand. I thought it might be love.
When we stopped, I looked at him, he stared into my eyes expectantly, and I looked around. We were in a room filled with what appeared to be a huge mirror. I turned to him, confused.
"If you concentrate, you can see what any person is doing at that very
moment. You want to give it a try?"
I concentrated as hard as I could on Mommy. I thought about her laugh,
her smile, and the way she took everything I said and did so seriously, even though
no one else did most of the time.
I opened my eyes, and in the mirror, rather than my own reflection, I saw
Mommy sitting with Daddy and Jesse on our couch at home. Jesse was listening to
Mommy telling her story.
"Why didn't I get to stay with Grandma Carolyn?" she asked.
"You didn't want to go."
"I didn't know."
"We can go visit them tomorrow. See how Morgan is getting along."
"So that's your mother, huh?" Matt asked, breaking my concentration, the picture faded, and I could seem my own reflection again. As I looked, I saw Matt
staring at me in adoration. My heart almost skipped a beat.
When I smiled, and turned to face him, he stopped staring. But, it was my
turn to stare. He had eyes the color of Mommy's. His nose was so cute. Everything about him was perfect. The last thing I really studied were his lips. They were full, like mine. As I watched, he licked his lips, and I looked into his eyes. He was smiling at me, and he leaned in closer.
As his lips were about three inches from my own, I turned so he missed. He ended up kissing my cheek, the corner of his lips just barely touching my own. He
pulled back, clearing his throat nervously. "I'm sorry about that."
"No, I'm sorry. I really like you. But..."
"Yeah, we don't know each other that well. I'm sorry. I moved too fast."
I smiled at him, and leaned in to kiss him. At first, he didn't respond. Then,
he wrapped his arms around me, and hugged me to him. When we broke apart, I
put my hand over my heart, willing it to slow down.
"Wow." I gasped, my heart still pounding.
"Yeah."
I buried my face in my hands. "I'm so sorry."
"Now what do you have to be sorry about?"
"I got upset when you tried it, then..."
"Hey, I don't mind. Believe me."
I giggled. We kissed again, and then someone swam into the cave with us.
"Hey, kids. This isn't a make-out spot."
We swam off quickly. As we were leaving, I asked Matt where I was
supposed to go if I wanted to send my Mom a dream.
"She told me to send her a dream tonight."
"You are a dream." he whispered, holding me tightly. I smacked him
playfully.
"I'm serious Matt."
"Actually, it's exactly where we just came from."
"The mirror room?"
"Yeah. I'll show you."
We went back, making sure that the woman who interrupted us had left.
Then, he showed me that just thinking about what I wanted to send, I could create a dream, then send it to whomever I pleased.
"The next time they fall asleep, it'll be sent to them. You wanna give it a
try?"
"Yeah."
"I'll give you a few minutes. Meet me outside?"
"Okay. I'll be out in a few minutes."
When he left, I thought about how my day had gone, and I made sure to
tell Mom all about Matt. I told her I missed her, and then I ended it. I wiped a tear
from my eye, and left.
"Ready to have some more fun?"
"Oh yeah."
I stopped by Grandma's house, to tell her I was going to be out for a while
longer with Matt, and she smiled at me. As I was leaving. I could hear her whispering "Puppy love."
I gasped for breath after finally tearing my eyes from him. As if possessed, they instantly riveted back to him. He smiled at me, and I opened my mouth to say something.
"Who are you?" was the first thing that popped out.
He laughed. Even his laugh was amazing.
"My name is Matthew. You can call me Matt."
"I'm Morgan."
"Why haven't I seen you here before?"
"I never knew this place existed."
"This store has been here for.... forever."
"No, this whole place. I was born on land."
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Isn't it horrible there?"
"No. I love it. I never knew any other place existed."
"Wow. Well, how did you find out?"
"My Mom brought me here."
"Who is your Mom?"
"Stacey. Her Mom's name is Celine."
"You're Stacey's daughter?"
"Yeah, did you know her?"
"She was betrothed to my cousin Derek. And, she helped to find my older
brother Andy when he ran away."
"Wow. But, you never met her?"
"No. I wasn't born yet when Derek died. The last time she ever came here, she was pregnant with you, and Mom was about to pop with me. No one ever
heard from her after that."
"She had a hard life. On her way to the hospital, her sister died. I guess it
was hard for her to come back, with all the memories, and everything. She never
even told me about this pace until today."
"So, it's your first time here?"
"Yeah."
"Has anyone showed you around yet?"
"Well, grandma Carolyn was starting to..." I trailed off, hoping he would
take the hint, and offer to show me around.
"Well, if it's okay with her... would you like to..." he trailed off. His tail
turned a faint red. I think he was blushing. "That is.... if you want to..."
"Want to what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Would it be okay if I showed you around?"
"I'd love that." I said sincerely, blushing.
I asked Grandma Carolyn if it was okay for me to go with Matt. She turned to look at us, and then caught my eye. I was inwardly pleading with her. She slyly smiled, and gave her permission. "But don't be gone too long."
Matt and I swam off, talking a mile a minute, and he promised he'd show
me everything there was to see. When I'd gasp at something, or make a big deal out of it, he'd smile at me. I knew he'd been around these things all his life, and he wasn't really that impressed with them anymore, but I was amazed by everything.
"I want to show you something very special." he said, taking hold of my
hand. I felt an electric tingle shoot through my body, warming me from head to fin. I swam faster to keep up with him, and relished the feeling I got just from holding his hand. I thought it might be love.
When we stopped, I looked at him, he stared into my eyes expectantly, and I looked around. We were in a room filled with what appeared to be a huge mirror. I turned to him, confused.
"If you concentrate, you can see what any person is doing at that very
moment. You want to give it a try?"
I concentrated as hard as I could on Mommy. I thought about her laugh,
her smile, and the way she took everything I said and did so seriously, even though
no one else did most of the time.
I opened my eyes, and in the mirror, rather than my own reflection, I saw
Mommy sitting with Daddy and Jesse on our couch at home. Jesse was listening to
Mommy telling her story.
"Why didn't I get to stay with Grandma Carolyn?" she asked.
"You didn't want to go."
"I didn't know."
"We can go visit them tomorrow. See how Morgan is getting along."
"So that's your mother, huh?" Matt asked, breaking my concentration, the picture faded, and I could seem my own reflection again. As I looked, I saw Matt
staring at me in adoration. My heart almost skipped a beat.
When I smiled, and turned to face him, he stopped staring. But, it was my
turn to stare. He had eyes the color of Mommy's. His nose was so cute. Everything about him was perfect. The last thing I really studied were his lips. They were full, like mine. As I watched, he licked his lips, and I looked into his eyes. He was smiling at me, and he leaned in closer.
As his lips were about three inches from my own, I turned so he missed. He ended up kissing my cheek, the corner of his lips just barely touching my own. He
pulled back, clearing his throat nervously. "I'm sorry about that."
"No, I'm sorry. I really like you. But..."
"Yeah, we don't know each other that well. I'm sorry. I moved too fast."
I smiled at him, and leaned in to kiss him. At first, he didn't respond. Then,
he wrapped his arms around me, and hugged me to him. When we broke apart, I
put my hand over my heart, willing it to slow down.
"Wow." I gasped, my heart still pounding.
"Yeah."
I buried my face in my hands. "I'm so sorry."
"Now what do you have to be sorry about?"
"I got upset when you tried it, then..."
"Hey, I don't mind. Believe me."
I giggled. We kissed again, and then someone swam into the cave with us.
"Hey, kids. This isn't a make-out spot."
We swam off quickly. As we were leaving, I asked Matt where I was
supposed to go if I wanted to send my Mom a dream.
"She told me to send her a dream tonight."
"You are a dream." he whispered, holding me tightly. I smacked him
playfully.
"I'm serious Matt."
"Actually, it's exactly where we just came from."
"The mirror room?"
"Yeah. I'll show you."
We went back, making sure that the woman who interrupted us had left.
Then, he showed me that just thinking about what I wanted to send, I could create a dream, then send it to whomever I pleased.
"The next time they fall asleep, it'll be sent to them. You wanna give it a
try?"
"Yeah."
"I'll give you a few minutes. Meet me outside?"
"Okay. I'll be out in a few minutes."
When he left, I thought about how my day had gone, and I made sure to
tell Mom all about Matt. I told her I missed her, and then I ended it. I wiped a tear
from my eye, and left.
"Ready to have some more fun?"
"Oh yeah."
I stopped by Grandma's house, to tell her I was going to be out for a while
longer with Matt, and she smiled at me. As I was leaving. I could hear her whispering "Puppy love."