The air smelled of summer rain. It was that earthy musty smell that never fails to bring out waves of nostalgia from somewhere deep within my being.

I was taking a walk, not just because I was single and found myself  home on a Saturday  evening, but  also  because  I love taking long  walks alone. That was when I heard a yelp that brought a shiver down my spine.

With all the courage I could muster, I ventured into the woods. I found the cutest little puppy with the largest brown eyes, lost, wet and probably very scared. I took the puppy home and named it Mustard. Little did I know then that this dog was the one living being that was to give me all the love and comfort I was going to get during the next three years of lonely Saturday nights.

Now as I sit here with my husband Jim asleep beside me, and my loving dog  Mustard looking up at me with his large brown eyes, I feel I had always known that this happy life was awaiting me. There were moments of doubt, I confess, but I knew it all along.

© 2009 rishnapriya P. Original for CCF. rishnapriya P grants CCF first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology.

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