The sun slowly rose, breaking the night sky with its golden rays, awakening life as it shone upon every living being, every blade of grass, and every remote corner of every cave. Among those living, there was one particular wolf. James smiled as the sun started to light his light-grey furred muzzle, happy to see the sunset finally come. His purpose that day had been to see it, to see how it could cleanse his mind and soul and keep the world from getting to him. And in that particular moment of enlightenment, he had nothing to do but smile as he saw the sheer power of nature rise and show him just how the world outside his head meant nothing in comparison to that moment. Or nearly nothing. You might ask “why is he standing there?”, and the answer to that is simple: he had nowhere to go. No home, no job, and now, no family…
He had had the guts to come out to his parents a few days ago. As you can imagine, it did him no good. The utopic idea that they would tell him “It’s okay son, we love you anyway” was all he’d had in mind back then, and he had convinced himself it would all go right. But the truth is that it unfortunately did not. He got kicked out of the house and onto the cruel world, condemned to an unpleasant stay under a mighty large wooden crate which he had filled with pillows. He was lucky it didn’t rain a single time, because he really had no way to protect himself effectively from it.
Lately, he had played the scene over and over in his mind. One moment, he was talking to his parents by the fireplace. His mom was holding a cup of white tea. His dad, on the other hand, was smoking a cigarette he held firmly in between the thumb and index finger of his left paw.
And then he said those three fateful words as he nervously drew circular patterns on the leather sofa with his index claw.
His mother started crying and held on to her rosary, tightly clenching her fist around it. His father put out the cigarette and stared at his son…that is, if he could still call him his “son”, before pointing at the door. James understood that sign meant “get the fuck out of here”. It had only taken him one night to get his fur all messy and to call a crate home sweet home since then.
But for now, he was happy just lying on the beach, feeling the sun light him just as it did the day before. But the day before, he had an actual bed. Now all he had was his phone – no, not even his computer. He was in the process of planning some way of sneaking back into the house and taking some of his stuff with him and probably some money as well. He sighed as the sun rose a bit more in the sky, shining brighter and stronger. He got up and stretched his arms, looking back at the crate he had left hidden in a corner or a back alley behind a clothes store, to make sure nobody stole any of his pillows, or his shoes, which he had also left by the crate. He slowly walked over the cold sand, his feet gently leaving marks on it. He jumped up onto a rock and then onto another one, staring at the sea.
He felt a small buzz in the right pocket of his torn and tattered jeans, reaching into it to pick up his phone.
“I’m right behind you”, the text said. The sender was a private number.
James looked back, but there was no-one at all. He shrugged and sat down on the rocks, whistling and taking in the typical seaside scent into his nostrils. He heard the sound of steps in the sand behind his back and stood up, biting his lower lip but never looking back. He heard the steps get closer and closer and his whole body stiffened, but he still would not look back. He felt two paws slide under his t-shirt as his stalker giggled and said:
- I told you I was right behind you… -
- I know, hun…- was James’ reply as he finally looked back at the beige-furred husky behind him.
- So…I told my parents too. - the husky said.
- How did they take it? - asked James again, holding the husky’s paw.
- Well…let’s put it this way love…do you want to share your pillowed crate or my bed? - he asked, smiling.
- Do you mean… -
- Do you want to move in with me, silly? - the husky asked with a grin on his face.
James closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering:
- I’d love to. -
The wolf grabbed his mate’s paw and slid his other paw under the husky’s shirt, as he kissed his lips gently and whispered …”I’d love to…”again, just as a wave crashed into the rocks and send a wave of tiny droplets of water flying over their heads, forming a small rainbow over them.
Then they looked in each other’s eyes, never letting go of each other’s paw, and said, both at the same time, three cheerful words.
I love you.
James might not have a home, a job, or a family…but what he did have…was a mate. And he loved him to bits.
