^Why did you bring me here? My jaws are fine.^ Mimi growled. She was in Ever’s lap while they sat in the waiting room at Vets R Us.

  “It’s a check up,” Ever said under his breath. They had come in the hour before midday; Zoe had told them it was the quietest time in the day. There was one other customer in the room with them: a gentleman with a bushy mustache wearing a bowler hat, sitting across the other side of the room. He made no attempt at looking away every time Ever tried to surreptitiously talk to Mimi. On his lap was a tall, dome-shaped bird cage with a white budgie inside.

  ^I want seeds, I want seeds!^ It chirped; this came out as a sweet bird song. It clung onto the side of its cage with its talons, hooking its beak around one of the bars, as if trying to cut through it.

  Mimi was much calmer in Ever’s lap than on the floor. He had to remember that as a small dog with short legs, everything seemed much bigger and scarier. It also wouldn’t have helped her anxiety that there were ghosts of dogs and cats gambolling and rolling around in the waiting room.

  The two clinic rooms opened at nearly the same time. The man opposite gave one parting glare at Ever before being ushered in by the bespectacled male vet.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Ever,” Zoe said, leaning in the doorway of her room. “And Mimi, of course.”

  Ever thought that he knew all there was to know about facial expressions after working with Taylor for the first three months of his time on Earth. Meeting Zoe showed him how wrong he was. He had marvelled at Taylor’s perfect customer service smile in those early days and how she could almost turn it off and on at will. Now, he marvelled at the way Zoe’s smile, all pearly whites and autumnal sunshine, spoke so much for her. It said, ‘I’m happy to see you again.’

  “Come on in.” She turned around, her ponytail swishing behind her.

  Ever carried Mimi in, one arm under the length of her body, the other cupping her to his torso. He stopped. Animal souls once again inhabited the room: on the examination table, the work bench around the perimeter of the room, even some roaming in and out of the cupboards. He looked up into the corner. Sure enough, Nika was still there. For some reason, he looked mighty displeased that Ever had come back.

  He looked at Zoe, who had taken up her favored spot against the work bench. Her arms were splayed out either side of her. She was holding a smirk back this time. This one said, “I know you can see them.”

  “Jin,” Zoe said. Her assistant turned around and regarded her boss. “Could you please prep Mimi here for a basic examination? I have to take her dad to show him something.”