CHAPTER ONE - DOUGIE

He looked at the street outside, his eyes still stung from the tears he had cried while he was alone…Gosh, he was so very tired but it was only natural after what had happened!

Even if he was an adult, it still hurt so much… he just wanted to get over it, so he texted him to have a chat.

The waitress finally saw him raising his hand and waving to her.

"Good morning Mr, what would you like to order?", she asked brightly.

He smiled and showed her the menu chart, pointing to his chosen beverage.

"Ah…" the waitress hesitated a bit, "lavender earl gray?" she mumbled.

Dougie smiled, nodding. He'll need a calming drink after all…

"Aaannd….anything to eat?"

"Ahh, please don't mumble looking down… I can't read your lips that way..!" He thought, while his brows furrowed.

The gal catched the frustration in his face, and repeated the question, gesturing as if eating with a spoon.

The cavapoo smiled. "Clever!", he thought. He pointed towards himself, then to his eyes, before tracing an imaginary circle around his mouth; he pointed to her and then opened and closed his hand as if it were a puppet.

The waitress' tail wagged. "Ah! you can read my lips!" she exclaimed.

Dougie chuckled and gave her a thumbs up, then he gestured toward the menu, signaling something there.

"Ok, toast with …. banana and peanut butter?"

He nodded, with a grin.

The girl wrote down his order, she was smiling as well, and a slight blush covered her cheeks while she went to retrieve his request

… Douguie looked at her absentmindedly, thinkinging about something else. He sighed, nervously tapping the floor with his foot, until he saw him entering the cafe (his golden fur was unmistakable); his heart ached, anger and hurt conflicting in his soul. His father found him and started to walk in his direction with a smile. He didn't return it.

Elio Cavapoo felt this heart drop, his son already knew it…

He sat in front of Dougie, with an awkward smile.

The young man across the table looked at him seriously, he couldn't help but feel under the stare of a young judge, before whom he should expose all his guilts, it was fair to do so, after all.

[She's gone… she left this morning], Dougie went straight into the point, no pleasantries needed.

The father sighed. "[ I know, she told me so herself…I guess she told you why]"

There were tears in his son's eyes? Yes, he was trying not to cry, Dougie hated to cry, especially amidst strangers. The golden cavapoo felt even worse than he already did.

[You cheated on her!], Dougie said, his fingers punctuating the words with well contained fury.

The father only looked back at him, without even trying to deny the accusation. "[Your mum and I… we fell out of love long time ago, son… we didn't love each other, not in that way…And I fell in love again Doug, with another one]"

The younger cavapoo breathed in deeply, raggedly, he got closer to his father, hurt blazing in his pupils. [Did you ever ask her if she had truly fallen out of love for you? Did she tell you she didn't love you?]

[No, I didn't], Elio stated, feeling his heart heavy with well placed guilt, fearing the next words of his son.

Dougie was so very sad and angry at this point… his nostrils flared as he flexed his knuckles. [...She still loved you, very much… you were the love of her life], he signed softly, as if whispering the words with his fingers. [...You broke her heart].

The golden cavapoo felt a knot inside his throat and his lower lip trembling. "[And I also broke yours, didn't I?]"

Dougie felt his eyes sting with unshed tears, he breathed in deeply while regaining his straight posture in the chair. [You did], he stated.

Both dogs looked at the street, they were so similar and yet different at the same time.

Dougie was a bit taller than his father, and his rich brown fur contrasted with the pale golden hues of that of the older man, yet both shared gestures and features, looking like opposite images in a mirror.

[ I'm leaving as well] the younger man stated, more calmly this time. [I'm going to Brisbane with Mum in three days]

Elio's eyes went wide, his heart almost stopped.

[You seem surprised] Dougie observed [I can't keep on living with you, dad … I-]

"Do you hate me that much?", the father blurted out, forgetting to sign the sentence because of the deep fear that tugged at his heart.

Dougie raised his ears in surprise, the ol'man suddenly looked so much older and fragile, as if fear oozed from his features. [No, I don't hate you!] he assured promptly. [But, I'm hurt and …] the son closed his eyes, searching for the right words. [Sad, angry and… disappointed…]

The son sighed, his father followed his discourse attentively.

[ You taught me that once you had a partner- a family- their well being must always come first, you taught me to honor my word and that I should be mindful of other people's feelings, you taught me to cherish my partner!]

Dougie's chest heaved, the movements of his hands becoming more and more frantic as he revealed the deepness of his hurt.

[Where are all those teachings now? Are they true?] He sighed [...Why did you hurt her so, why didn't you divorce before falling for another woman?]

"I'll never treat women that way!" he thought. "I'll never act upon love without making things clear for all parties involved first- I -Whenever I fall in love I'll care for it with my whole being!" his inner speech flared.

The older man fidgeted a bit with the table cloth and let out a ragged breath.

"[I proposed divorce to your mother, but she didn't want to, plus… to be your parents it's the most beautiful thing that both of us have ever done. We wanted to be a team for you…and also guard you from pain…]"

[And that worked perfectly, now didn't it?!] Exclaimed Dougie with a huff.

The father raised an eyebrow at that.

"[Well, the pain it's probably the same, but now you have way more tools to face it ]".

The brown cavapoo couldn't deny that.

[Son….] The older man said. [What will you do with your career? You can't just drop it, you are already in your third year- and you are brilliant! … they have already adapted to you…what your life here?]

Dougie Looked at the window.

[They had already agreed to transfer me to QL Uni, so I just need to keep doing my best] He shrugged [plus I have always wanted to study there, it was you and mum who didn't agree with me living on my own just yet, remember?]

The man in front of Dougie was baffled.

[We lived there when I was a kid, I'll go back and make new friends], he shrugged. [And about uni, you don't need to pay it for me anymore if you don't want to , I-]

The older man took one of Dougie's paws in his, firm but gently, cutting his speech in mid sentence.

"[ I'll pay for your education as long as I'm able to, Doug… it doesn't matter if your mother and I are not together anymore, I'll always be your father!]"

The brown cavapoo gulped.

The warmth of his father paw over his, bringing childhood memories to his heart, all at once. He was still mad at Elio, but gosh, he couldn't help but to love the ol'man…maybe all those teachings were true after all…but Mum…she needed him more than dad for the moment, she was hurt…he didn't want her to be alone.

"[And about whatever I have taught you… I know you'll live by it, you are a far better man than I'm Doug… and I'm proud of it]"

Dougie smiled ruefully, feeling the fatherly praise spreading its wings inside his heart.. [ Your shift is about to begin, you better get going dad], he said while peering at the wall clock behind the parent.

The other man turned to look at it as well "Oh damn! [It 's true]".

"[In three days, huh?]", the parent said while getting off the table, Dougie signaled at the waitress asking for the bill.

"[Yeah, three days]"

Elio stopped before him "[Am… am I allowed to see you off? to have a proper good-bye?]" he asked, almost timidly.

Dougie's tail wagged softly. [Of course you are!], he said, with a little smile.

The golden cavapoo returned his son's exact smile, and got out of the place, hurriedly walking to his workplace.

Meanwhile, the younger man paid the bill. Soon the waitress came over with the change and the receipt, and left without a word.

Dougie collected the few coins, and noticed something scribbled over the ticket.

"+61 464 231 563. Johanna", followed by a tiny heart.

His eyes widened in surprise and looked back at the waitress at the counter, who was looking in his direction with a wide smile and a wagging tail.

He sighed, as his tail dropped.

"The least I need right now it's to mess up with someone else's feelings…there's enough broken hearted people around me already", he thought, while leaving the place without looking back.