Chapter 41 Momo
Hannah
The moment we stepped fully into the shelter, Sienna let out a sound that could only be described as aggressive delight.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, already reaching for the puppy in my arms. “Oh my God, look at him. Look at his little face. Hannah, where did you get this baby?”
I smiled despite myself and adjusted my grip as she immediately began cooing, pressing soft kisses to his head. “I rescued him,” I said simply.
Her head snapped up. “You what?”
I shrugged, suddenly shy. “Long story.”
“Try me.”
We walked deeper into the shelter, the familiar smells of disinfectant and animals wrapping around me like a second skin. It felt grounding, like stepping back into a version of myself that hadn’t been bruised by marble halls and silent dinners.
We stopped at the on-site clinic, where Gio was leaning against the counter, scrolling on his phone. He looked up, eyes lighting instantly.
“Please tell me that’s not a new intake I missed,” he said, already moving toward us.
“This,” Sienna announced grandly, “is Hannah being casually insane.”
I rolled my eyes and gently handed the puppy over. “Found him last night. He was limping.”
Gio’s expression softened as he examined the puppy, hands practiced and gentle. “Poor thing,” he murmured, tsking as he checked the leg. “Looks painful, but it’s treatable. Minor injury. He’ll be fine with some care.”
Relief loosened something tight in my chest.
Sienna, however, was vibrating. “Okay, no. You don’t get to gloss over this. You said ‘rescued him’ like you picked him up from the sidewalk. Start talking.”
I sighed. “Fine. But the abridged version.”
“There is no abridged version,” she said firmly.
So I told them.
At first, I kept it light, getting hungry, sneaking out for fries, seeing the puppy. But somewhere between the alleyway and the subway, the room went quiet. Gio paused mid-exam. Sienna’s eyes grew wider with every sentence.
“…and then I ended up in Pennsylvania,” I finished weakly.
Silence.
Then….
“You ENDED UP WHERE?” Sienna shrieked.
Gio’s mouth dropped open. “I’m sorry. Back the fuck up. You what?”
I groaned. “Okay, fine. Full version.”
So I told them everything. Getting lost. The men. Running. The train. Falling asleep. Waking up somewhere unfamiliar. The police station. Timothy.
Somewhere in the middle, we all paused to gush, briefly and loudly about the artist from the exhibit, before Sienna slapped my arm and yelled, “FOCUS.”
By the time I finished, both of them were staring at me like I’d just confessed to surviving a plane crash.
“You’re telling me,” Sienna said slowly, “that your husband who you claim is emotionally unavailable, called in police contacts, chartered a private jet, and personally came to retrieve you.”
“I didn’t say it like that,” I protested, heat flooding my cheeks.
“But that’s exactly what you just said,” Gio added, eyes sparkling. “That’s… dramatic.”
“It’s not like that between us,” I said quickly. Too quickly. “It’s complicated. He’s…he can be kind, and then cold, and then distant. I don’t know what we are. I mean, I know but we don’t…like each other or anything. ”
They exchanged a look.
“Mhm,” Sienna said, clearly unconvinced.
I changed the subject before they could press further. “So. Gio. How’s your love life?”
That worked.
“Oh,” he said, grinning. “You mean the hot lumberjack who moved into the flat next to mine?”
Sienna gasped. “Go on.”
I laughed as Gio launched into a detailed, enthusiastic description, the tension easing as normalcy settled back in. By the time he finished vaccinating and clearing the puppy, we were all smiling again.
They set him up in a kennel, soft blanket tucked around his small body. I checked on him far more often than necessary as the day went on, earning amused looks from Sienna.
Near closing time, as we were tidying up, Sienna leaned against the counter. “So. We’ll put him up for adoption.”
My stomach twisted.
The words shouldn’t have bothered me. This was how it worked. I knew that. But the idea of leaving him behind alone, made my chest ache.
“I…” I hesitated.
Sienna noticed immediately. “Hannah?”
I looked at the puppy, curled up and sleeping peacefully for the first time since I’d seen him. Something settled, quietly but firmly.
“I’m going to adopt him,” I said.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure?”
I wasn’t.
But I nodded anyway. “Yes.”
The paperwork felt surreal. Signing my name, handing over the payment without thinking twice. By the time they closed up and I lifted him into my arms again, he felt… mine.
Outside, Sienna smiled at me. “What are you going to call him?”
I thought for a moment. Then…“Momo.”
She grinned. “Perfect.”
We air-kissed goodbye, and I got into the car, Momo snuggling against my chest. I scratched behind his ear and whispered, “How do you like your name, huh? How do you like Momo?”
His tail wagged furiously.
I smiled. “Momo it is.”