Abandoned Angel
Part 26: Fluff Pile
The rest of the week flew by for Robert. Suddenly it was Friday, his last day at work. He had received a severance package from his company, followed with a month vacation, signing bonus, and promotion for the new company. His office spent the day socializing, celebrating, and saying goodbye to those leaving for greener pastures. Erin and Dave hung out in his nearly bare office. Only the picture of Angel and the three brothers remained.
“So you really have four fluffies now?” Dave studied the picture, “They’re adorable, but I couldn’t imagine. I heard about how difficult it can be, that they’re perpetually toddlers.”
Robert nodded, “I never had kids, thank god, but I’ve heard that comparison. They are all pretty good.” He looked at the clock. “I’m gonna take off early, and I’ll meet you two at the bar tonight.”
They said their goodbyes and as Robert headed out the office Erin was waiting for him. “Think I can come over and see the fluffies before we head to the bar?” Erin never had fluffies, but she did enjoy the brief time with them.
“Sure, come on over, you’re more than welcome.” Robert thought for a moment about Mary, but figured since he was ending it officially tomorrow, any ranting about Erin visiting would be easy to ignore.
“Great!” Erin headed for her desk and Robert headed home.
It was early afternoon when Robert returned home. With the three new fluffies, well, not so new now, Robert thought, he couldn’t let them out of the safe room when he was away. He kept them locked inside the safe room for their own safety. Robin, the red and pink Pegasus couldn’t talk. Bright, the yellow and blue earth type, couldn’t hear. Brave, the monochrome red unicorn couldn’t see. Their run of the house had been strictly limited even when he was home. Angel, his original blue and green Pegasus, he allowed out of the room mostly unsupervised.
He opened the safe room, surprising them. They weren’t used to him being home so early. Robert did supposed that that could, at some level, tell time in some abstract sense. All four ran to him, hugging his leg, begging for hugs.
“Wub daddeh!” Angel yelled the loudest, even more so than Bright. Robert picked her up, his first fluffy that held a special place in his heart, even if sometimes she was a brat. Angel hugged him as best as she could with her little fluffy legs. Robert sat down letting them climb over all over him.
“Guys, sit down, we gotta talk.” They were being very well behaved today and sat immediately. He picked up Brave, holding the Pegasus in his lap, scratching his ears and mane. “Starting today, I’ll have a month off of work.”
Angel tilted her head, confused. “Munf?”
“Yes, a month. Tomorrow will be one day. Then another. Then another. Thirty days, I’ll be home for thirty days!” Robert patted her head, ruffling up her mane.
Thirty days?! Angel couldn’t even grasp just how long that really was. “Dat’s foweva! Daddeh pway wif us foweva!” She jumped up onto his lap, squirming around Brave.
“Yup!” Robert hugged her back, Bright and Robin joining in again. “But tonight I’m going out. Tomorrow I’m going out. But the day after, I’ll be home all day and I’ll have you all out of the room all day!”
Brave tilted his head, he rarely ever went out of the safe room. It was safe in here. The only time he came out was for sketti nummies. He couldn’t see, so he had no reason to leave the room. Maybe, just maybe, he could explore! “Bwave wub daddeh!”
“Love you too, buddy. And Sunday, if all four of you are good, I’ll make spaghetti.” Robin and Angel started prancing around each other, very excited. Robert knew from past experiences that the three disabled fluffies were much better behaved than Angel. “Angel, that means you have to be very good. Understand?”
Angel stopped dancing about, “Angel be gud fwuffy! Angel be best fwuffy eva!” Bright jumped in between Angel and Robin, he wanted to dance too! All three started bouncing about. Angel and Robin excited about spaghetti, Bright excited about them being excited.
“And today, Erin is going to come by. Then we’re going out. So, I’m gonna let you guys out of the safe room until we leave.”
Angel smiled, her wings flapping. She remembered Erin! “Ewen ish pwetty. Angel wike Ewen.” That made Robert smile.
“I like Erin too.”
Angel looked up at Robert as he stood, she was so happy, so many wonderful things were happening. “Wewe Mawy?” She hadn’t seen his special friend in so many days.
“Well,” Robert began, “Mary won’t be coming around anymore. “ He wasn’t about to explain such a complicated situation to fluffies.
“Bwave miss mummah.” He looked a bit sad. Robert wondered if she treated them well besides making them deaf, blind and mute.
Angel looked at Robin, who also looked a bit sad. She gave each big huggies, she didn’t want them to be sad. Then she saw the sad look on her daddeh’s face. She didn’t want him sad either! That was even worse than her fluffy friends being sad! She hugged his leg, “Daddeh, nu be saddie!”
Robert picked up Angel giving her another hug. When she was good, she was the best. If only she was like that all the time. “I’ll be okay. Go play. I’m leaving the door open so you guys can come out while I’m home.”
He left the room. All four fluffies following him. While he had let them out on occasion, the house had been left mostly undiscovered for the new ones. Angel knew the house well, and before getting the three, he rarely even locked her in the safe room while he was at work.
Angel let her herd to the living room, all of them were excited. Brave mostly ignored Angel. He walked around slowly. He bumped into the couch. Into the coffee table. Into the wall. His nose had such owies now! Sniffling, he plopped down in defeat. He didn’t like this new place, it was new and he couldn’t see. That made Brave quite sad, it was always dark. Brave mustered what little fluffy courage he could and stood, puffing out his cheeks. Stoopid woom, he thought! He sniffed around again, his ears twitching, and made a bee-line to Robert.
“Daddeh. Woom gif owies.” Brave rubbed his nose with his hoof. He could always find his daddeh, he knew his smell, he knew his sound.
“Sorry, Brave. It’ll take time and practice to get to know the house.” Robert gave Brave a good scratching around the horn. Brave loved that. “Once you get used to it you won’t bump into anything.” Brave was quickly becoming his favorite.
Angel climbed up to her window bed, Bright and Robin following her up. It was barely big enough for the three. Soon all three were sitting on their rumps, their front hooves and noses pressed against the glass. Angel babbled on about the wingie biwdies and the metal munstas and the white cowdies. Robin, forever silent, sat amazed at how smart she was. Bright’s eyes darting to every new sight, oblivious to her ramblings.
What’s that? Bright thought as a metal munsta came close to the house. His hooves tapped furiously on the window. Angel didn’t notice as she rambled on to Robin. There was a hoomin coming out! He tapped again on the window! “HOOMIN!” Bright yelled, never knowing just how loud he was.
“Daddeh! Ewen ish hewe!” Angel cheered, “Daddeh!" Erin knocked on the door Angel ran to the door, trying to knock back. Robin and Brave joined in. “Fwend!” Angel loved it so much when daddeh had friends visit.
Robert quickly let Erin in. As he took her coat, the four fluffies were now sitting at her feet, staring up at her quietly. “Erin, why don’t you take a seat on the floor.” Erin gave him a quizzical look, but listened and sat down on the floor, her back against the couch. The fluffies didn’t move yet. “Okay, fluffies, fluff pile on Erin!” They ran on their tiny hooves and tackled her, hugging, Erin laughed as she drowned in a sea of brightly covered fluff.