Until My Last Treat

Chapter 7 – Payday

Rocco's Point of View

I didn't understand payday.

At first, I thought it was a special kind of day when humans became happier.

I learned that from Ryan.

For days, he had been counting something.

Every morning, he opened his wallet.

Every night, he opened his notebook.

Sometimes he stared at the calendar for a long time.

"Three more days."

"Two more days."

"Tomorrow."

He kept saying the same words.

I didn't know what they meant.

But I knew what happened when the final day arrived.

Ryan woke up smiling.

Not his usual tired smile.

A real one.

The kind that made the corners of his eyes wrinkle.

"Payday."

He stretched his arms above his head.

"Finally."

I jumped onto the bed.

He laughed.

"Yes, you too."

He scratched my belly.

"Today, we're going to eat something good."

My tail began thumping against the mattress.

Something good?

I was already interested.

Ryan left earlier than usual.

He stood in front of the tiny mirror beside the door and fixed his collar.

He looked at himself for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Not bad."

He looked at me.

"What do you think?"

I wagged my tail.

"Yeah?"

He laughed.

"Good enough."

Before leaving, he opened the little drawer beside the bed.

He took out his wallet.

For once...

He didn't count the money three times.

He simply looked at it.

Then closed it.

"Tonight, Rocco."

He pointed at me.

"Chicken."

My ears immediately stood up.

He laughed.

"You understood that."

I didn't know many human words.

But I knew chicken.

Chicken meant happiness.

That evening, Ryan came home carrying two plastic bags.

I could smell the food before the door opened completely.

Chicken.

Rice.

Vegetables.

And something sweet.

I jumped around him so excitedly that he nearly dropped everything.

"Hey!"

He laughed.

"Careful!"

He placed the bags on the table.

Then crouched down and hugged me.

"You missed me?"

I licked his face.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"I missed you too."

He smelled different.

Not tired.

Not worried.

For once, he smelled happy.

He pulled out a small container.

Inside was chicken.

Real chicken.

Not leftover bones.

Not something found beside a trash bin.

Fresh.

Warm.

He placed it into my bowl.

"Go ahead."

I stared at him.

He laughed.

"What?"

I looked at the food.

Then at him.

"You're waiting for permission?"

I didn't know.

I simply wanted to make sure.

He smiled.

"Okay."

"Eat."

I did.

I ate so quickly that Ryan burst out laughing.

"You haven't eaten in a week!"

I stopped for a moment.

He laughed even harder.

"I know, I know."

"Slow down."

He sat on the floor beside me.

He had his own plate.

Chicken.

Rice.

A fried egg.

For the first time in a long time...

There was enough.

I didn't have to watch his plate.

He didn't have to watch mine.

We simply ate.

Together.

After dinner, Ryan pulled something from one of the bags.

A small yellow box.

He opened it.

Inside were treats.

Dog treats.

My ears went straight up.

Ryan smiled.

"Remember your trick?"

He held one between his fingers.

"Sit."

I sat immediately.

He laughed.

"Still got it."

He gave me the treat.

Then he tried again.

"Sit."

I sat.

Another treat.

He laughed.

"You're too easy."

I didn't care.

The treats were good.

But the sound of his laughter was better.

Then Ryan started clapping.

"Come on."

"Again."

"Sit."

I sat.

"Good boy!"

He hugged me.

"You know what?"

He looked at me seriously.

"I think you're getting spoiled."

I wagged my tail.

He laughed.

"Okay."

"Maybe that's my fault."

After a while, Ryan lay on the floor.

I rested my head on his stomach.

His hand moved slowly through my fur.

The television was playing quietly.

Something about the news.

I didn't understand it.

But Ryan wasn't watching.

He was staring at the ceiling.

"You know..."

he whispered.

"I almost didn't buy this."

He looked toward the empty shopping bag.

"I thought about saving the money."

His fingers stopped moving.

"Rent's coming."

"Electricity."

"Transportation."

He sighed.

"But then I thought..."

He looked at me.

"You deserve something nice too."

I looked at him.

He smiled.

"You're the only one waiting for me when I get home."

His voice became quieter.

"When I have a bad day..."

"You don't ask questions."

"You don't care if I make mistakes."

"You don't care if I'm broke."

"You just..."

He scratched behind my ear.

"...get happy when you see me."

I licked his hand.

His eyes became wet.

He quickly looked away.

"I didn't say anything sad."

I didn't believe him.

Dogs know when humans are pretending.

I moved closer.

He wrapped both arms around me.

"Sometimes..."

he whispered.

"I think you're the only thing I'm doing right."

I didn't know what that meant.

So I stayed.

The next morning, Ryan woke up late.

His alarm rang three times before he finally opened his eyes.

"Oh no."

He jumped out of bed.

"Rocco!"

I followed him around the room.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

I tilted my head.

He laughed.

"Right."

"You don't know how."

He rushed around the room.

Shirt.

Pants.

Shoes.

Backpack.

Keys.

Wallet.

Phone.

He stopped at the door.

Then turned around.

"Wait."

He ran back to me.

"Sit."

I sat.

He smiled.

"Good boy."

He gave me one treat.

Then kissed the top of my head.

"I'll be home early today."

He opened the door.

Then stopped.

"Actually..."

He checked his phone.

"Maybe not."

He sighed.

"Meeting."

He crouched.

"I'll still try."

Then he left.

I watched from the window.

The giant metal bus swallowed him again.

He didn't come home early.

He didn't come home at the usual time either.

It was almost midnight when I heard his key.

The door opened slowly.

Ryan stepped inside.

His shoulders were slumped.

His face looked pale.

He removed his shoes without speaking.

Dropped his backpack beside the bed.

Then sat down.

I ran to him.

He smiled weakly.

"Hey, buddy."

I climbed onto his lap.

He hugged me.

"I'm sorry."

He rested his forehead against mine.

"I said I'd come home early."

His eyes closed.

"I couldn't."

I didn't care.

He was home.

That was enough.

After a few minutes, he whispered,

"Sometimes I wish life was easier."

His fingers tightened slightly around my fur.

"But..."

He smiled.

"Then I come home."

He kissed my forehead.

"And you're here."

He leaned back against the wall.

"Maybe that's enough."

I rested my head against his chest.

His heartbeat filled my ears.

Slow.

Steady.

Safe.

I didn't understand money.

I didn't understand work.

I didn't understand why humans spent their lives running from one place to another.

But I understood Ryan.

He worked because he needed money.

He needed money because he needed a home.

And now...

That home had me in it.

The next morning, I found something beside my bowl.

A new collar.

It was simple.

Blue.

With a small silver tag.

Ryan had written something on it.

ROCCO

I stared at the letters.

Ryan crouched beside me.

"Now everyone knows your name."

He smiled.

"You're not a stray anymore."

He gently fastened the collar around my neck.

I didn't know what a collar meant.

I didn't know what being a stray meant.

But I knew what Ryan meant.

I had been found.

And I wasn't going to be lost again.

That night, before we slept, Ryan gave me one last treat.

"Sit."

I sat.

He smiled.

"Good boy."

And for some reason...

He held me a little longer than usual.

I didn't know why.

I only knew that I liked the way his arms felt around me.

Warm.

Safe.

Like home.