The city landscape flashes by as the school bus rolls down the street. Rain falls in sheets, and the windshield wipers work overtime to allow the driver visibility.

A girl sits next to the window, tracing raindrops with her eyes as they roll down the glass. She yanks the yellow cord, and a mechanical voice says “Stop requested!” in an overly cheerful tone. As the bus pulls up to her stop, she braces herself and steps out into the torrential downpour.

The crosswalk light can’t turn fast enough, and as soon as it changes from orange to white, she races across the street. She forgot her umbrella, so her only hope is holding her hoodie over her head and backpack, and hoping her homework doesn’t get soaked. She knows there’s no hope for her shoes, though – she’ll have to stuff them with newspapers when she gets home.

Her feet pound the sidewalk in a frantic rhythm as she races down her street. She arrives at her doorstep, thoroughly soaked and exhausted from that brief sprint.

She unlocks the door and trudges inside, dripping wet and defeated. Her heavy backpack slips from her shoulders and lands on the ground with a thud. 

She slips off her wet shoes, and lets out a sigh. It’s 5:00 PM, and she has at least 3 hours of homework ahead of her. She just wants to collapse on the couch and sleep, but she has a mountain of schoolwork – the typical life of a high school student.

As she begins to sort through her damp papers, she hears a steady clicking sound, accompanied by the occasional jingle. A small smile begins to creep over her face, as she could recognize that sound anywhere.

A dog – her dog – is rushing down the stairs towards her, her nails making that telltale clicking sound. Soft black fur envelops her body, and her matching bushy tail swishes back and forth. Her long pink tongue hangs out of the side of her mouth, and her big brown eyes resemble the color of hot chocolate.

She flops down on the floor and rolls onto her back, demanding belly rubs. The girl laughs, a stark contrast from the sigh of defeat she had uttered mere moments ago. She sits on the floor and rubs her dog’s belly, the fur rushing beneath her fingers.

The dog scrambles to her feet, and turns to face the girl. She wags her tail some more, then notices the girl’s smile has faded, her shoulders are slumped, and her face is twisted into a tired expression. The dog whines, nudges the girl with her nose, wags her tail, but nothing changes. Finally, she lays down, curling her body into the girl’s lap.

The girl leans down and pulls the dog into a tight hug, breathing in the familiar, slightly smelly odor of fur, petting her soft velvety ears, feeling her steady heartbeat beating in tandem with her own, finally calm. Finally happy.