Work Text
Since Ana had come home from the hospital, Edwin had been making weekly phone calls to breeders and animal shelters. He had made promises to her, and he intended to keep them. That meant getting a Bernese Mountain Dog.
Ana had always been fond of dogs, and Bernese Mountain Dogs were by far her favourite. The large breed had a sweet temperament that was perfect for her.
The breeders did not share that personality. Edwin's resume of taking care of animals didn't seem to matter to them. The breeders sold to people who wanted purebred prize pets, and apparently, Edwin didn't fit that demographic. Still, he called, hoping something would change.
The breeder knew Edwin's voice by now. "Mr. Jarvis, I think I may be able to work out a deal."
Those words were music to Edwin's ears. "Lovely. What do you have to offer?"
"One of our older ladies is past her prime. We'll give her to you for cheap."
Edwin arranged to pick her up the next day, while Ana was at her drawing class. The breeder lived on the edge of town. When Edwin drove up to the house, a half dozen puppies barked at him through the fence. They nearly looked like clones.
The breeder kept the dog for Edwin on a short brown leash. The white around her muzzle had flecks of gray. Her belly sagged - proof of all the litters she had. She stood when Edwin approached.
Edwin handed the breeder the money, and the breeder gave him the paperwork. "What's her name?"
The breeder gave her a show name, but she didn't respond to it. After a couple of moments of thinking, they said "Usually, we call her 'girl'."
"Alright, girl. You're coming with me." Edwin led her to the car.
The dog understood commands. She climbed into the back seat of the car on her own. She napped for most of the drive home.
Edwin clipped a ribbon to her collar before bringing her into the house. He'd placed food and water dishes and a dog bed in obvious places around the house. Ana would see them first. Then, when she came to the bedroom, she would meet her new fluffy friend.
"Edwin, I'm home!" echoed through the house an hour later.
The dog immediately perked up. Edwin put a hand on her back as she began to whimper. With hushed whispers, he encouraged the dog to keep his surprise quiet. He knew it was difficult. As Ana's footsteps neared the bedroom, Edwin almost called out to her.
Ana opened the door, and the dog ran to her. The leash slipped from Edwin's grasp. Ana giggled as the dog jumped onto her new owner. Her tail wagged so much it was a blur.
"Hello, miss! What are you doing here? Yes, you are very pretty and very sweet. I'm happy to meet you too." Ana said in a mix of Hungarian and English.
Edwin grinned. "I said we'd get a Bernese Mountain Dog."
"This is her?"
"Yes. I see I might have competition for your attention now," Edwin joked.
Ana knelt, and the dog put her head in Ana's lap for snuggles. "What's her name?"
"At the breeding facility, they called her 'girl'."
"That won't do at all. A regal lady needs a proper name." Ana scratched the dog behind her ears. "You're a friendly little one, aren't you? How about Orsolya?"
The dog barked.
"Wonderful! Orsolya Jarvis, welcome to the family!" Edwin couldn't stop smiling.
Orsolya enjoyed plenty of cuddling that evening. Her long, thick fur made her very easy to pet. She quickly learned that if she stood in the right place, she could get both of her new owners to pet her at once.
During dinner, Orsolya made herself comfortable under the table. She whimpered for food.
"People food isn't good for puppies, madam," Ana said sweetly.
"Right!" Edwin agreed, feeding her bits of meat under the table.
"Edwin, you aren't subtle," Ana teased.
"Sorry. I know. If we keep doing that, she'll get used to it."
"She will get plenty of treats that are made just for her."
That evening, they took Orsolya on her first walk. The moment she saw Edwin pick up the leash, she stood in front of the door. She wagged her tail when Edwin clipped the leash onto her collar.
"Where are we going?" Ana asked.
Edwin smirked. "I was thinking that we could take her around the menagerie today."
"She'll like that!"
Orsolya followed at Edwin and Ana's heels. She kept stopping to sniff the areas. When she saw the animals, she went up to their cages with a goofy smile. The ducks didn't mind. The tiger watched her with worried eyes but stayed away. Bernard snapped at her and lifted his wings, but Orsolya just pressed her nose against the metal fence keeping Bernard in his cage.
Ana giggled at that. "Is there anything in that brain?"
"Good question. We'll have to find out."
"She has a head full of fluff!"
Orsolya barked at Bernard, who flapped his wings.
"You might be right," Edwin sighed. "Orsolya, come here!"
Immediately, Orsolya's head lowered. Her tail stopped wagging, and she slowly walked to Edwin.
"Good girl," Ana said, giving her a pat.
Closing her eyes, Orsolya pushed her head against Ana's legs. Ana kept cuddling her for several minutes.
"How was she treated when she was at that breeder?" Ana asked.
Edwin looked at Orsolya. "I don't know."
"You are like me. You've been through difficult times, but you have survived, haven't you, puppy?"
"She's not a puppy."
Ana laughed. "Mr. Jarvis, my love, all dogs are puppies. Even the oldest dog is a puppy. Just try telling her that she's old."
Edwin looked into Orsolya's eyes. He couldn't do it. That dog had a single thought behind her eyes, and that thought was "I love you so much."
When they came home, Edwin made himself and Ana glasses of sherry. Ana turned on the radio. While they listened to Benny Goodman's music, Orsolya wedged herself between her owners. She did stick her nose into Edwin's glass, but she snorted at the smell.
"Are you not a boozehound?" Ana joked as she sipped her drink.
"Are you trying to get another dog?" Edwin joked in turn.
"I think I'm alright with her."
As Edwin and Ana prepared for bed, Orsolya refused to let her owners out of her sight. She even followed them into the bathroom. Ana had to nudge Orsolya out of the way with her foot to get access to the sink. The dog sat loyally as Edwin and Ana finished washing up. When they got into bed, Orsolya followed them. She settled down on the floor by Ana's side of the bed.
Edwin looked at her sleeping form with an amused smile. "We bought you your own bed."
Orsolya's ear twitched as if she was dismissing the remark.
Ana laughed, making Orsolya open her eyes. "I think she deserves it. Besides, if we had a baby, that baby would be sleeping in our room too."
Edwin nodded. "She is like a baby, in a way."
"Yes." Ana turned to her husband. "Thank you for doing this. I know you weren't always fond of the idea of a dog. We'll be picking dog hair off of our clothes every day. It's a big commitment."
Edwin kissed her gently. "Anything is worth it for you."
"We're going to have to introduce her to Peggy and Rose," Ana mused.
"We'll have to arrange a meeting with them tomorrow." Edwin was glad that his wife and Rose had become friends.
Ana soon fell asleep. Edwin stayed awake, staring at the ceiling and listening to his wife and his dog snoring. He hadn't planned for this life. He'd gone through an unimaginably dark week, nearly losing his wife. Now, she was sleeping soundly next to him. He would see her in the morning, and she could do everything that she had done before. That was something that he wouldn't give up.
Orsolya was already becoming a fixture of his family. He had a feeling that they would have to schedule puppy snuggle sessions between their nightly sherry and Benny Goodman. Fur would get everywhere. In his heart, Edwin didn't mind.