for me as she rushed across the floor towards me.
‘Mum, he’s so handsome,’ Jenny cooed, raising her hand to pat my head, before hesitating. ‘Is it okay?’ she asked Kelly, clearly not wanting to take anything for granted.
‘Of course it is,’ Kelly replied. ‘Our Percy loves a good stroke, don’t you, boy?’
‘Absolutely,’ I barked encouragingly, craning my head upwards to meet Jenny’s palm.
As she affectionately placed her fingers on my head and ruffled my ears, I raised my big brown eyes to meet her smaller blue ones. Just like her mother, love and warmth radiated from every inch of her, and as she beamed at me, I hoped we would be the best of friends.
‘Come on then, Jen, don’t hog Percy all to yourself, I want to say “hello” to my new mate,’ Simon said, appearing at Jenny’s side.
Just like his daughter, he had a welcoming, warm way about him, but his eyes had a spark of hesitation in them. I wondered if Simon was shy and, wanting to say hello, I pushed my face into his warm, calloused hand and let him tickle my neck.
‘Welcome to the family, Percy,’ Simon whispered. ‘It’s about time I had another man in the house – these women are always ganging up on me, so us fellas have to stick together.’
‘You can rely on me,’ I barked earnestly, as I pulled my snout away. Looking happily up at him, my heart lurched with joy, as a familiar face appeared at his side. With her beautiful chestnut mane and happy grin, I knew I was where I belonged.
‘Hello, you,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve been so excited about bringing you home today I haven’t stopped talking about you.’
I nuzzled against her, and remembered the simple pleasure of her warm fingers against my fur. I barked appreciatively. Gail was everything I remembered her to be.
‘He’s all yours now,’ Kelly said gently, as she stroked the top of my head and kissed my fur. ‘Let’s get him downstairs for a last check-up, and then you can take him home.’
Kelly placed me in Gail’s warm arms and I felt my brown eyes moisten as I glanced up at Kelly. She had been my lifeline here and I would never forget the care and kindness she had shown me.
‘Thank you,’ I yapped at her quietly.
‘You’re welcome, Percy.’ Kelly smiled, her eyes meeting mine as she kissed my black fur one final time.
Safely stowed in Gail’s arms, I gave my room one final glance. Catching sight of Boris, who was looking at me with joy in his eyes, I barked my goodbyes.
‘Take care of yourself,’ I told him. ‘Stay strong, and remember your family are coming for you.’
‘I will, Percy, and you,’ Boris barked in reply. ‘Keep in touch.’
Outside, it felt strange to be in this part of the shelter again. As my paws scurried across the cold concrete I realised I hadn’t been in a car since Javier abandoned me several weeks ago. My fur stood on end at the memory of that dark day. But now, I realised this new journey in four wheels would be a very different and happier experience.
As Gail unlocked the back door, I saw she had arranged a special dog carrier that was secured with seat belts for me. Usually I hated travelling in anything so restrictive, preferring to roam free in the back, but looking up at Gail’s face, so full of concern, I knew she was only doing what she thought was best. Reluctantly, I scrambled inside, and as Gail checked I was safe and secure, she bent down and kissed my head.
‘You okay in there, boy?’ Gail whispered, her lipstick smudged from where she’d given me a smooch.
I woofed at her encouragingly. Despite my reservations, the carrier was actually quite comfortable thanks to the sheepskin blanket Gail had thoughtfully placed inside. Best of all, the sides were open, so when Jenny slid into the car next to me, she was able to run her fingers over my fur reassuringly as Gail and Simon got into their seats at the front.
As Simon clunk-clicked his seat belt into place, Gail started the engine. Checking her mirrors as she manoeuvred out of the car park, she caught my eye and smiled. ‘We’re about forty minutes away, just out in west London, but it’s definitely not the posh bit, I’m afraid.’
‘She’s right, Percy,’ Simon called over his shoulder to me. ‘It’s definitely not the posh bit, and I hate to break it to you, but it’ll be a lot longer than forty minutes, given the way Gail drives.’
‘Dad!’ Jenny fired, eyes furrowed in frustration. ‘Stop being so mean all the time about Mum’s driving.’
‘Good point, Jen,’ Gail replied. ‘In fact, Simon, you’re welcome to drive us home yourself, if you don’t like the way I do it.’
‘Come on, love. I spend all week driving around London; the last thing I want to do at the weekend is to get behind the wheel,’ Simon protested.
Gail’s gaze never left the road, but her tone was clear. ‘Well then, stop having a go at me about it. You were bad enough on the way in.’
‘It was only a joke,’ Simon hissed. ‘You need to get a sense of humour.’
‘And you need to get a sensitivity chip,’ Gail retorted. ‘You’re ruining this special moment with Percy.’
I looked over at Jenny. The little girl’s eyes were downcast and fixed firmly on her lap as her parents exchanged words. She did not appear to be crying, but she was obviously upset at the fact the happy atmosphere we had all enjoyed just moments earlier had become frosty. I glanced at Gail and caught her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Her mouth was set in a determined line while Simon had turned his head and was looking firmly out of the passenger window.
I wondered if this was evidence of the strain Gail had mentioned. More than anything, I wanted to help, this was supposed to be a happy day not a sad one. Observing Jenny, an idea formed and I remembered one of the tricks Barney had taught me to try to get new families to like me. Rolling onto my back in the carrier, I exposed my tummy and yelped, a bit like a human baby.
Jenny looked across and her face creased into a delighted smile as she saw my trick. ‘Mum! Percy thinks he’s a baby.’ Not waiting for an answer, she reached her hand into my carrier and tickled my belly, just as I hoped she would. ‘Oh, his tummy’s so soft,’ she squealed.
Simon looked around to see what all the commotion was about, and laughed. ‘Oh, Percy, I can see you’ve already got a way with the women. You’re going to have to teach me a thing or two.’
‘What’s he doing?’ Gail begged as she navigated a particularly busy junction. ‘I can’t see.’
‘He’s rolling over, pretending to be a baby,’ Jenny explained, her hand still tickling my belly, much to my delight.
Quickly glancing around, Gail burst out laughing as she saw me. ‘Percy!’ she exclaimed. ‘Oh, my goodness, you’re adorable.’
‘He’s more than adorable,’ Simon said, chuckling. ‘He’s bloody brilliant. Look at you women going all mushy; Percy’s going to be the ace up my sleeve against you two.’
‘No, he isn’t.’ Jenny giggled.
