Abandoned Angel
Part 59: By Leaps And Bounds
It was over a year ago that he had asked Erin to marry him. He even went down on one knee, as painful as that was. Even if the situation was a bit backwards, the house before the marriage as it were. He didn’t mind, and if Erin did, she didn’t vocalize it. She loved him, and he loved her. She even grew to love his little fluffy family.
Life was good. But Robert was nervous. His palms were damp. It was going to be a small affair, but things never turn out how they expect. The big day had finally arrived, after months of preparations for one big day. Erin’s father entered the small waiting room where the groom and groomsmen waited. Groomsman. Best man. Just one. Dave, his old boss, one of the few men he held any close connection with. Brave sat at Robert’s feet. A comical oversized bright blue bowtie and collar around the fluffy’s neck.
“Are you ready for this?” Erin’s father asked.
“I hope so.” Robert nervously laughed.
“Daddeh gun be best hus… Hyusbw…” His fluffy brows furrowed, “Daddeh gun be best daddeh!” Robert, Dave and Erin’s father shared a laugh. Brave certainly broke some of the tension.
“Do you remember what to do, Brave?” Robert kneeled down and fixed some errant fluff on Brave’s tail.
“Bwave wemembew. Bwave hol head upsies an wawk swowwy wif Angel.” Brave was always the smartest of his fluffies.
“That’s right.” Robert gave Brave a quick scratch under the chin, not wanting to mess up the freshly combed fluff.
It wasn’t easy finding a church that would accommodate their requests for the ceremony. The third church was on the fence, until Robert pulled out his check book, asking how much would they like their newest member to donate. Robert didn’t even pay attention as the priest walked in, he couldn’t even remember the elderly man’s name. The priest gave Robert and Dave an odd look. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I just was surprised she didn’t run away.” Robert and Dave shared a nervous laugh.
“Funny,” the priest went back to signing the marriage license, “she said the same thing. You people are weird.”
Robert fidgeted at the altar. Nearly a hundred people sat in the pews, their quiet murmurs echoing in the large room, their eyes on Robert, waiting nervously. The music began and everyone turned their heads. No one paid attention to the nervous groom now. Dave looking dashing in his tuxedo and Susan looked gorgeous in her sky blue dress. It felt like hours as they made their way down they slowly proceeded down the aisle.
Dave shook Robert’s hand and Susan shot him a thumbs up. Loud gasps and laughter filled the church as the next set of the procession entered. Angel’s fluff was decked out with flowers in her mane and tail. In her mouth a comically oversized, for a fluffy, bouquet of flowers in her mouth. A bright blue collar and leash around her neck led to Brave’s mouth. Her wings fluttered as she pranced down the aisle, leading her blind mate. Pizza cheered as Angel walked by, Erin’s mother holding him firmly in his seat.
Susan helped Angel up the steps as Dave helped Brave up. Angel taking her place next to Susan as Brave sat next to Dave. “Everyone, please rise.” The music changed as Erin was escorted down the aisle by her father. Her white dress, radiant, her hair in two long braids, her face, glowing.
“May I have the rings, please?” Dave nudged Brave, and the fluffy trotted up to the priest. He reached down and gently lifted the rings from Brave’s horn. Once the rings were free, he backed into Robert who leaned down and gave his fluff a good petting, messing up the finely groomed work that was done not even an hour ago.
“Do you, Robert, take Erin, to be your wife…”
Not long ago Robert had finally tied the knot with Erin. It didn’t take long before Angel decided it was time to have another litter of foals. Which, given the circumstances from her last experience, surprised Robert and Erin. He did, along with Erin, consented to another litter, under the condition that the foals would be given away. Nearly a week passed before Brave and Angel decided that they were okay with the stipulation. Susan had already lined up several people willing to adopt the fluffy foals, as Polaris became her unofficial mascot of her vet practice.
It wasn’t long before Angel had her litter. Only two foals, this time. Angel held up the pale green Pegasus with faint wisps of light blue fluff on her tail and mane to Robert. “Daddeh, dis babbeh ish gud babbeh?” Angel loved all her foals, even with the understanding that she wasn’t supposed to keep all of them. Robert nodded and she held up the red and red and white female foal, “Dis gud babbeh tu?” Robert agreed, as he did every morning for the last several days, declaring that each foal was good.
Pizza looked at his hoomin daddeh, not understanding the dynamics at play. For him, all the babbehs were gud babbehs! Angel didn’t mind Pizza trying to play with the foals, even if they were barely old enough to open their eyes. He picked up the green and blue foal and held her up towards Robert. “Daddeh… Can Pizza keep sistah? Fwuffy pretty!”
Robert held the green and blue foal, pondering if keeping four fluffies was worth the hassle. “Sure, we can keep that one.” He smiled at Angel, “Pizza needs a playmate. How about we name her Turquoise?” Brave looked as pleased as could be as Pizza pranced about Robert. Angel took the foal from Robert.
“Tuwkoise? Babbeh wike name?” The foal chirped and squirmed in Angel’s hooves. “Dat mean babbeh wike name!”
Robert held Turquoise in his hand, her eyes not open yet, her tiny wings fluttering against his skin. He smiled and offered the foal to Brave, who gently took the foal and nestled her back into Angel’s fluff. “Gud babbeh.”
Robert made a right mess of Brave’s fluff. “That’s right, she’s a good baby.” Pizza ran out of the safe room, desperate to share the news with his hoomin-mummah. Erin poked her head in the room moments later, “You sure?”
“Yeah, I think they’ve earned it.” Robert nodded.
Erin nodded. He wasn’t wrong. She smiled down at Pizza, “This family just keeps getting bigger.”