The Trainer Pt. 01

Why do you care?, her brain questioned immediately, she was an asshole to you, what else is there to know? She was an asshole, that was true, but she had warmed up to her today, hadn't she? She'd actually seemed almost nice at the end. And she was clearly passionate about dogs, which was a big plus in Amy's mind. Amy forced the debate from her mind. She couldn't come back anyway; she had to work.

"Back to the riveting world of taxes...," Charlie said. "That's okay, I'll manage. There may even be someone else around who can help. Anyway, thanks for your help today. It really sped things up."

Before Amy could ask or say anything else, Charlie was walking off. 'Unceremonious' seemed to sum her up like nothing else. Amy sighed and made her way to her car to head home.

May

Amy stopped outside the metal gates and looked at the generous plot of land that lay behind them. So this was where Jamie was? At least she'd have plenty of space to run around. She'd like that.

The little dog had never left Amy's mind for long since the day she'd helped to clean her up. She'd wondered if they'd managed to finish up de-tarring her, if she was doing okay, if they'd found a nice home for her. Eventually, her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had called the vet clinic again.

Jamie was doing well, they had guaranteed her, but they'd had no luck finding someone who wanted to adopt her. She was currently with a foster but she couldn't stay there forever. If they didn't find a forever home for her soon... The receptionist had trailed off dramatically. Amy knew logically what the end of that sentence was but she didn't want to consider that possibility. Jamie was lovely, a new home would surely be found for her.

"You can go visit her, if you want," the receptionist had said then. "I'm sure they won't mind." She'd looked up the address for Amy but informed her that she didn't have a phone number on file. "Just drop by. I'm sure that will be fine."

She felt a little nervous about turning up unannounced at a stranger's house. Besides, 'dropping by' had turned out to be a bit less spur-of-the-moment than that, as the address was on the other side of the island, a 45 minute drive from anywhere else she went regularly. Apart from the beach, that was, which is where she'd been today. On her way home, she'd realised it would be an opportune moment to 'drop by'.

Amy gazed at the house a hundred yards or so beyond the gate. The doors were open but she couldn't see anyone. No Jamie either. At this point she'd be happy just seeing the dog and greeting her through the gate without ever announcing her presence. But no such luck. She'd gotten this far, she told herself, now she'd have to go through with it.

Of course there was no bell at the gate so Amy did what she had learned was the island-wide accepted way of alerting someone to your presence at their gate: she hooted her car horn. At first nothing happened and then a whirlwind of tails, paws, and snouts came flying at the gate. A pack of at least ten dogs were barking at her through the metal bars; some looking more vicious than others.

Amy saw to her great joy that Jamie was one of them. She was further to the back and not barking like the rest of them. She was wagging her tail, perhaps recognising the visitor. She was looking less skinny and her fur was starting to grow back in the spots where it had been cut. Her whole demeanour seemed happier and braver. She was indeed doing well.

"Está bien... Basta chicos," a voice said and most of the dogs quieted down instantly, apart from a large blond one at the front, which kept barking while wagging its tail. "Diego, tranquilo." Now Diego stopped and turned to his owner as if to say, 'Didn't I do a good job keeping her out, though?'

Finally no longer distracted by the cacophony of barks and teeth, Amy looked up at the owner of the voice. None other than Charlie was looking at her with an amused expression, while scratching Diego's ear.

"Charlie? What are you doing here?" Amy said in surprise before her mind had had time to fully comprehend the most logical explanation, which Charlie of course was more than happy to point out to her. "Well, it is my house... I'm here a lot. What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how Jamie was doing. They didn't tell me she was with you," Amy stammered.

Charlie smiled knowingly. "Would that have made a difference?" Amy cursed herself for having made her annoyance with the other girl so obvious in the past. Thankfully, Charlie didn't wait for her to answer. "Are you going to come in then? Or are you just going to wave at her through the gate?"

"Yes, please," Amy said and then looked nervously at the dog pack. They looked calm enough now but Amy had not forgotten how vicious they'd seemed just moments earlier.

"They won't hurt you," Charlie said, reading her mind. Amy tried to compose her face and look like she'd never had any doubt in her mind about that when she stepped through the gate that Charlie held open for her.

Jamie approached her cautiously but enthusiastically. Some of the other dogs did not have such reservations and Amy was jumped at, licked and tail-whipped before she even came close to Jamie.

"Sorry, they get a bit excited. We don't get a lot of visitors. Ven, chicos. Juanita. George. Paco. Bailey, ven. Diego!" Charlie tried to usher the dogs away from her. They listened well, clearly respecting her as the leader of the pack.

"You speak Spanish to them?"

Charlie shrugged. "Yeah, it sort of just happens. Except when they're in trouble; then it's English. Diego, come here!" The blond cannonball finally redirected his efforts to the other girl.

"How many languages do you speak then?"

"Fluently? Three. And a bit of Portuguese." Charlie said it as if it was the most normal thing in the world. For many people on the island it was. They had their local language and often spoke English and Spanish well enough to get by. Still, speaking only English, Amy couldn't help but be impressed. Not just a pretty face, this one.

Suppressing a feeling of inferiority about her linguistic capabilities, she kneeled down and let Jamie sniff her. She stroked the dogs back and even though there were still hard bits here and there, her coat was looking good and her ribs were no longer sticking out.

"She's looking so good," Amy said.

"She's a little fighter. She's been a bit unwell after her treatments but she's been eating well and is getting stronger every day."

"She seems to be enjoying it here." Amy looked around curiously for the first time. The bright blue house looked very spacious and Amy suddenly wondered if there was anyone Charlie shared it with. She realised she really didn't know anything about the other girl, even if their interactions were getting easier. She couldn't help being curious, even though she didn't know why.

She directed her attention back to her environment. Next to the house there was a full-size swimming pool and a paved terrace with a gazebo with a palm leaf roof. On the far end of the pool stood a much smaller building, also bright blue, and on the other side of the main house, there was a fenced off area. It appeared to be an open field; or at least Amy couldn't see any other buildings in there.

"Oh yeah, although she's quite the princess. I have to shoo her out of the house every evening. She'd sleep in my bed if I'd let her."

An image weaselled its way into Amy's mind. Was there anyone who slept in Charlie's bed with her? Where did that thought come from? Perhaps it was the fact that she was standing in Charlie's garden, gazing at her house, that drove the realisation home that Charlie was a real person, with a home, and a life. She must have people in her life that didn't think she was an asshole: friends, family, perhaps even a partner. Amy found herself suddenly wondering about these people. What did they know about her that she clearly didn't easily show other people?

"You mean you're not surrounded by canine company in your bed?" She fished, jokingly.

Charlie wasn't biting. She laughed. "There's too many of them. My bed is nowhere big enough." Otherwise she'd let them in? There was also no indication if there was anyone else taking up valuable space. The thought kept bugging Amy, it just wouldn't let her go. Why did she so badly want to know? Charlie was essentially a stranger. A stranger she just happened to keep bumping into.

Charlie continued, unaware of the further questions her response had triggered. "Most of them are guests anyway. Only Diego here and Paco are mine." Since she'd already singled out Diego by name, she pointed at a small scruffy-looking three-legged dog that most resembled a Jack Russell terrier. It was the strangest sidekick to the powerful, handsome Diego.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

"He was shot by his owner. He tried to steal a chicken bone because he hadn't been fed in days. Clearly, the owner did not find that acceptable. Chicken is still his favourite, although he doesn't get the bones, obviously."

Obviously. Amy had no idea why that was so obvious but she wasn't going to let that show. She also wasn't going to show her shock at the admission that the little dog had been shot. She knew by now that it happened, but looking at the tripod's sweet, innocent face, she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt him.

"The rest are all guests?" She asked instead. They all seemed so relaxed around her and each other. Charlie clearly had a big heart taking in so many dogs and caring for them. Amy couldn't begin to imagine the amount of work that must be.

Charlie nodded. "Some are here on holiday, some only for the day, and Jamie I'm temporarily fostering obviously."

There it was again: that focus on 'temporarily'. It looked to Amy as if Jamie was having a great time and wouldn't mind staying here.

"At least you have plenty of space for her," she tried.

"I do now, but the holiday season is coming. In the summer many people will be leaving the island to go other places while the tourists take over here. No offence."

"I'm not a tourist, I live here!" Amy countered. Why was Charlie so married to the idea that she was just here for a little holiday?

"Oh yeah, sorry. For now. Anyway, I'm already booked up for most of June and July and August is filling up fast too. So I'll need the space."

"So she can only stay here until June?" That didn't leave a lot of time to find a good home for her. Charlie just nodded.

"What happens if there's no home for her by then?"

Charlie stroked Jamie's head as if reassuring her that wouldn't happen. "Well, they might have a space in the shelter, or find another foster. But more likely, she'll be put down."

"What?!" Amy had always known in the back of her mind that this was what happened to dogs that were not adopted after a while. Considering the major overpopulation of dogs on the island, keeping them all in shelters or leaving them to roam the streets just wasn't an option. Yet, Charlie was the first person to say the words out loud; to be brutally honest where it was necessary. Amy had to admire that.

"I know, it's such a shame," Charlie said, but she sounded a lot calmer than Amy felt. It probably wasn't her first rodeo. "But you never know, there may be someone..." She clearly didn't have much faith in that possibility.

"What if I adopted her?" Amy said quietly. It was more of an internal consideration that hadn't realised it was meant as a thought and had developed into a spoken statement instead. Perhaps Charlie had realised this because she didn't respond immediately. Amy let the thought materialise properly in her head. She'd always wanted a dog but it had never seemed like the right time to get one. And now here was this perfect dog that so desperately needed a loving owner, with which Amy already had an emotional connection.

"I think I want to adopt her," she said, more loudly.

"You think you do, or you know you do?" Charlie now responded, sounding cold and business-like again. She clearly wasn't taking Amy seriously at all. Amy could understand why: she had sounded a bit hesitant.

"I know I do," she stated resolutely. She'd show Charlie just how serious she could be. "What's the procedure?"

"Hold on a second. This is not a willy-nilly decision. Having a dog is a long-term commitment. It's not just some fun while you're here."

"I know that. I've always wanted a dog. I've been ready for it for a while but just never did it," Amy said calmly. She understood Charlie's concerns, but there really was nothing to worry about. Once she'd thought of the possibility, she knew that it was the right decision.

"I've seen it happen too many times that people come over for a short time, adopt a dog because they feel sorry for it or because they figure it will make a good alarm system, or it will be so nice for the kids. And then when they leave again, they can't take it to the tiny one-bedroom flat they're going back to. So the dog gets left behind: abandoned, heart-broken because its family didn't care enough to properly consider all possibilities when taking him in."

Charlie sounded angry now and Amy had to admit she hadn't fully thought about how Jamie would fit in her life once she moved back to the UK. But she would certainly be able to make it work. She had to get a new place anyway; she'd just make sure there was space for a dog.

"I understand, but that won't be me." She didn't feel the need to justify her thought-processes to Charlie. It wasn't really any of Charlie's business how Amy would make it work; as long as she believed that she would.

"That's what they all say. And I'm sure you truly believe that now, but unfortunately it's a bit of a familiar story." It was clear from Charlie's voice that her doubt was coming from a place of concern for the dog's well-being. Amy got the distinct impression that the other girl wanted to believe her, but had been burned by that in the past.

"Look, she needs a good home. I want to give her that. We have a connection. I mean, look at her." Jamie was lying on her back at Amy's feet, asking for belly rubs. "I am not going to abandon her. I could never. Just trust me on that, okay?" She was getting a bit impatient now. Who had died and made Charlie queen of the dog adoption process? Couldn't she see that Amy was a good person and not a gun-slinger who would shoot someone for stealing a chicken bone?

Charlie sighed in frustration. "I want to trust you, I really do, but I don't know if you fully understand what having a dog means. It changes your life. You'll suddenly be responsible for another creature. You can just come and go as you please anymore: staying out all day, deciding not to come home at night..."

Amy huffed. What did Charlie take her for? "I don't do that anyway," she said icily. "I am fully aware of the changes it will bring to my life, which is much less irresponsible than you imagine, I'll have you know. And I am more than happy to embrace those changes. Now, what is the procedure for adoption?"

Charlie relented reluctantly. "There's not much to it, but the organisation she's registered with does require a home check before the adoption is approved."

"To make sure I don't have an illegal dog fighting arena in my back garden?" Amy snapped, sounding more snarky than she intended.

Charlie looked at her with a serious expression; she was not amused. Amy was starting to see a pattern. It wasn't that the girl never joked about anything, just not about anything dog related. She took all of that really seriously.

"You'd be surprised," she said. "Anyway, so someone will have to come to your house and make sure it's suitable. You know, make sure it's a safe environment for a dog, and that you have proper fences around your garden. You do have a garden, right?"

Amy confirmed that she did. Amy: one, Charlie: zero. "Great, I'm happy for that. So who do I need to contact? Who will do the check?"

"I'll check with them but given how busy everyone is at the moment, most likely it will be me doing the check."

"Oh..." Amy had clearly cheered too early. Charlie could still put a hold to all of this if she wanted.

Reading her mind, Charlie said with a sigh: "Don't worry; I'll sign off on it if everything's okay. I don't have anything against you personally adopting her." Was that supposed to be reassuring? Charlie didn't elaborate on what her problem was instead. Part of Amy wanted to convince her this was a good idea, but the other part argued it really wasn't her responsibility. Besides, she had no idea what would convince Charlie.

"Okay, so when can we do this?" Amy was suddenly impatient to jump through the necessary hoops and secure the adoption.

"How about I come over on Friday night? That gives you a few days to mull things over. If you change your mind, you can give me a call and there's no harm done. No judgement, no bad feelings."

"I'm not going to change my mind."

"Okay, well, why don't you write down my number anyway, just in case?" Charlie seemed not at all convinced. Perhaps she'd dealt with much more indecisive people before.

"Are you always this insistent when you're trying to give a girl your phone number?" Amy couldn't help but tease, trying to lighten the mood. To her credit, Charlie actually smiled at that. See, she wasn't always serious. It was in the moments when she wasn't - when her intensity waned and Amy could see the kind person that seemed to hide behind it - that Amy found her curiosity about the other girl peak. What caused this intensity in Charlie? And what could soften it?

Amy saved Charlie's number in her phone and they agreed she'd come over at eight on Friday night. Then there was an awkward silence before, realising that all was said and done, Amy excused herself, saying she had to get home before it got dark.

"Remember, don't stop for any strangers with car trouble, no matter how helpless and innocent they look," Charlie said when Amy got into her car.

"You weren't a stranger. And you certainly didn't look helpless or innocent," Amy countered, driving off before Charlie could reply. She caught the other girl's smile in the rear-view mirror.

* * * * *

Amy rearranged the couch cushion a fourth time. They looked homey enough, didn't they? They looked like they were part of a nice safe place for a rescue dog to live, didn't they? For some reason, she'd felt the need to tidy her house and wear some of her best clothes to come across in the best possible light. She'd told herself that that was just based on what she'd seen in movies about people in a child adoption process. She hardly had any information about a dog adoption process. Who knew there were home visits involved in that too?

It was ten past eight before she heard a car horn and looked out her window to see Charlie's white pick-up truck outside the gate. She pressed the button on the remote and made sure the electronic gate was opening, before rushing to the bathroom to check her reflection one last time. What was wrong with her? Charlie was hardly going to decide on Jamie's fate based on her hairdo. Yet somehow it seemed very important her appearance was just right. She'd even squeezed in some time in the sunshine after work to get some colour in her face.

"Welcome," she said cheerfully, when she greeted Charlie. Bordering on manic, she told herself. Tone it down. She was just nervous, that was all.

"Erm, thanks," Charlie said. "You haven't changed your mind then?"

"Of course not!" Amy managed to make that sound convincing, she thought. In truth, she had had some second thoughts in the past week, mostly centred around her doubts about if she was up for the challenge and if she could really give Jamie the life she deserved. But then she'd thought about the sweet little dog and what she'd been through, and she'd vowed that she would do whatever it took to make it work.