Sunday morning. Noah sat by the window, Sunny in his lap. The park stretched out below—bare trees, joggers, a couple walking hand in hand.

Sunny's tongue was warm on his chin. He looked down. Her fur caught the light—wheat-colored at the tips, deeper gold at the roots. Soft like down. When he buried his fingers in it, they disappeared.

She was bigger already. Two weeks. How was it only two weeks?

His hand traced from her crown down her spine. The fur was thicker there. Denser. She leaned into the pressure. Her tail thumped against his leg.

"When you're big," he said, scratching behind her ears, "will I still be able to hold you like this?"

She looked up. Brown eyes—milk chocolate, wet, catching the light. Her pupils went huge when she focused on his face.

Then she lunged. Licked everywhere. His nose. His cheek. His mouth.

Noah laughed. Pulled back. "Okay, okay."

She kept going. Her tail wagged so hard her whole body wiggled. Her ears flopped—too big for her head still, silky where they folded.

"You remember when we met?" Noah asked. His voice soft. Smiling.

Two weeks ago. Walking past the pet shop. No plan to go in. But something made him look.

The puppy. Golden retriever. Tiny. In the window display. She saw him and went crazy. Jumping. Pawing at the glass. Like she'd been waiting.

Noah stopped. Stared.

His dad's voice in his head. "No dogs. Too much responsibility."

But the puppy kept jumping. Kept looking at him.

He went inside.

Held her. She fit in his hands. Barely. Her fur was so soft. Softer than anything. She licked his face. His hands. Wiggled in his arms like she couldn't stay still.

"Can I—" Noah stopped. "Can I take care of her?"

The employee smiled. "She's all yours if you want her."

When he left, his hands were full. Food. Bowls. Toys. A bed. A leash. Everything.

In the car, they looked at each other. Just looked.

And Noah saw it. The way she looked at him. Like he was everything.

He blinked. Came back. Sunny was still in his lap. Still warm. Her paws were oversized—white socks on golden legs. She'd grow into them.

"You ran everywhere when we got home," he said. A smile pulled at his mouth. "I just watched. Didn't stop you. You needed to see everything."

That first night, he'd sat on the floor. Watched her explore. Every room. Every corner. She knocked things over. Chewed on the rug. He didn't care. Just smiled.

Then he realized. He hadn't named her.

"Sunny," he'd said. Out loud. Testing it.

She looked at him. Tilted her head.

"Yeah. Sunny."

"And now we walk every day." Sunny's tail picked up speed. "And you sleep with me. And I come home to you."

He buried his face in her fur. Breathed in. She smelled like grass and something sweet. Puppy smell. Clean.

Taking care of her made him happy. Feeding her. Brushing her coat until it shined. Watching her sleep, paws twitching like she was running in her dreams. The way she loved him without asking for anything.

My life changed so fast.

He looked out the window. At the park. At the sky. His shoulders were loose now. Not tight like before. Not hunched.

Almost three weeks since—

His ribs squeezed inward. Just for a second.

Atlas.

Three weeks since the fight. Since he left. Since—

"He forgot about me," Noah said. Out loud. To Sunny. To the room.

She looked up. Licked his hand. Her tongue was rough. Warm.

"I wasn't even in his life anyway." His voice was flat. Empty.

Sunny licked his face. Noah closed his eyes. Let her.

But Marcus came. And Jared. And Clara and Elias. They didn't leave me alone.

He felt lucky. Really lucky.

And the cooking class. New people. New friends.

"And I'm learning to cook." He looked at Sunny. Smiled a little. "Everything's getting better."

His phone buzzed on the windowsill.

Clara.

we're coming over this afternoon to meet sunny

Noah typed back: ok

He cupped Sunny's face. Thumbs stroking her cheeks. She closed her eyes. Went still. Just breathed.

"They're coming to see you."

Kissed her head. The fur there was softer. Warmer. She licked his nose.

He stood. "Let's go for a walk."

---

They walked to the park. Sunny pulled on the leash—excited, stumbling over her own paws. Everything was new. Every tree. Every smell. Every person.

Noah let her stop and sniff. Didn't rush her. Just watched. The way her nose worked. The way her ears perked at sounds.

On the way back, he stopped at the market. Got ingredients. He'd make what he learned in class. Spaghetti aglio e olio. Bruschetta. Salad.

At home, Sunny played at his feet while he cooked. Her toy squeaked. Over and over. Music played—something upbeat, bouncy. Noah sang along. Badly. Didn't care.

Atlas used to cook.

The knife stopped mid-chop. Noah stared at the cutting board.

"It's over," he said. Out loud. Firm.

Went back to chopping. Faster now.

He set the table. Carefully. Plates lined up just right. Glasses. Napkins folded into triangles.

First time they're coming over.

He wanted it perfect. Moved a fork. Then moved it back.

While he waited, the couch swallowed him. He pulled out his phone. Opened Instagram.

Scrolled. Friends' posts. Food photos. Ads.

Did Atlas post?

He checked. Nothing new. Same profile picture. Same number of posts.

You're waiting for him to post about his new boyfriend.

He set the phone down. Hard. The sound echoed.

"He didn't even come to meetings to avoid me." The words came out bitter. Sharp.

Sunny tilted her head. Whined softly.

Hours passed. The light changed. Got warmer. Golden.

Then a knock.

Sunny bolted to the door. Barking—high-pitched, excited, tripping over herself.

Noah opened it.

Clara, Elias, and Mark stood there. Smiling. Arms full.

"Hey!" Clara said. Bright. Happy.

They came in. Hugged Noah. One by one. Clara's perfume was strong. Floral. Mark squeezed tight. Elias patted his back.

Clara sniffed the air. Her eyes closed. "I smell food."

A grin tugged at Noah's face. "First time I'm cooking for you guys."

Elias held up a bottle. Dark glass. Red wine. "We brought wine."

Mark had another bottle. Clara had a bag from the bakery. "I got dessert."

Then Clara saw Sunny.

Everything dropped. The bag hit the floor. She scooped Sunny up. "Oh my god." Her voice went high. "She's so cute."

Sunny licked her face. Everywhere. Wiggled in her arms like she couldn't contain herself.

Clara looked at Noah. Eyes shining. "She's perfect."

Mark and Elias got on the floor. Mark threw her toy. She brought it back. Dropped it. Waited. He threw it again. She ran. Her ears flopped. Her paws slid on the hardwood.

In the kitchen, Noah and Clara worked. Got plates. Served food. Steam rose from the pasta. The bruschetta smelled like garlic and basil.

At the table, Noah told stories. How Sunny ran into walls chasing her tail. How she fell asleep mid-bite, face in her food bowl. How she barked at her reflection in the oven door.

Elias laughed. The sound was full. Real.

Sunny tried to jump into Elias's lap. Too small. Her paws scrabbled at his knees. Couldn't make it.

Noah picked her up. Set her on his own lap instead. She settled immediately. Pressed against his stomach.

Elias leaned over the table. "You know she looks at you like you're her whole world, right?"

Noah looked down. Sunny looked up. Those big brown eyes. Pupils huge and dark.

"Yeah," he said. Quiet. Kissed her head. The spot between her ears.

Mark smiled. Soft. "Animals love without conditions." He paused. Took a sip of wine. "And she's totally adjusted. It's only been three weeks."

They talked about other things. Concerts coming up. Art exhibits. The weather getting warmer.

Elias took a bite of pasta. Chewed. His eyebrows went up. "The cooking class is paying off. This is really good."

Noah's face warmed. "Glad you like it."

They drank wine. Watched Sunny play. She ran in circles. Chased nothing. Then suddenly stopped. Flopped on the floor. Asleep in seconds.

Mark looked at Elias. Something passed between them. "We should get one."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Miso and Sol would be okay with it, you think?"

"They'd adjust. Why not?"

Elias leaned over. Kissed Mark's forehead. Slow. Soft. "Okay."

Noah smiled. Felt something warm in his chest. "Who are Miso and Sol?"

"Our cats." Mark pulled out his phone. Scrolled. Showed photos.

Two cats. One orange tabby. One grey with white paws.

"They're so cute," Noah said. Meant it. "When Sunny's bigger, I want to get a Scottish Fold."

Clara looked at him. Really looked. "You're taking on responsibility now."

Noah nodded. His fingers traced Sunny's spine. She didn't wake. "I wanted one as a kid. My dad said no."

Clara laughed. Short. "I hid one in my room once. My mom found it." She paused. "They were mad at first. But they got used to it fast."

" Where is he now?" Noah asked.

Clara swirled her wine. "Nova lives with them now. They love him more than me." She grinned.

"I haven't told mine yet."

Elias and Mark were back on the floor with Sunny. She'd woken up. Was attacking Elias's shoelaces.

"You should tell them." Mark glanced up. "They'll love her."

"Is that why you haven't posted her on Instagram?" Mark asked. Casual.

"No."

Clara grabbed her phone. "Let's fix that."

She took photos. Noah holding Sunny. Sunny licking his face, her tongue mid-swipe. Sunny asleep in his arms, belly up.

Posted them. Tagged Noah.

What if Atlas sees?

The thought came fast. Sharp.

Noah pushed it away.

It doesn't concern him.

They talked about work. Next week's presentations. Client meetings. Deadlines.

When it got late, they stood. Stretched. Gathered their things.

"Thanks for everything." Mark hugged him. Tight.

Clara hugged him longer. "This was perfect."

"See you tomorrow," Elias said. Ruffled Noah's hair.

They left. The apartment went quiet again.

Noah cleaned up. Loaded the dishwasher. Wiped the counter. Took Sunny to the park. A short walk. She was tired. Dragged behind him.

At home, he sat on the couch. Opened Instagram. Uploaded the photos Clara took.

Caption: sunny 🧡

Posted.

His phone rang immediately. FaceTime. Lydia.

He answered.

"SHOW ME THE PUPPY!" Lydia screamed. Her face too close to the camera.

Noah laughed. "You don't call me this late just to see me anyway."

"She's so cute! I'm coming over tomorrow."

"No."

But Lydia wasn't listening. She was making noises at the screen. High-pitched. Baby talk. Sunny tilted her head. Ears perked.

Lydia ran. Her camera shook. "MOM! MOM YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!"

Noah laughed. Heard his mom's voice. Muffled. Far away.

Then his mom's face appeared on screen. She smiled. Soft. "Oh!" Her voice went warm. "She's adorable." Then her face got serious. "But can you take care of her?"

"I'm taking good care of her."

"Don't get tired of her." Her voice was firm now. Motherly. "Don't give up on her."

Noah's voice went flat. Serious. "Why would I get tired of her?"

He kissed Sunny's head. Hard. Protective.

Lydia's face filled the screen again. "I'm coming tomorrow."

"No. I can't deal with you."

Lydia turned away. Asked their mom. Permission granted. She grinned. "Love you!"

"Love you too."

He hung up.

Took Sunny to the bedroom. They lay down together. She curled against his chest. Warm. Soft. Her breathing already slowing.

"I wish you could talk." He traced her ear with one finger. The silk of it. Smiled.

We really never talked. Atlas and me. Not really.

His breath caught. Stopped. Started again.

Then it passed.

He closed his eyes. Sunny's heartbeat against his palm. Steady. Real.

Tomorrow will come. Whatever it brings.

Sleep found him slow. Gentle.

And for once, it stayed.