“I’m sure you’re hungry. I know I am. Let’s go down and get breakfast. I expect you on your best behavior.” Sara instructed before lowering her hand into the habitat.

She looked down at Jordan watching him clamber onto her hand. It still felt weird as he moved across her hand. She remembered back in guardian training one of the first things you learn is how to fight the instinct to slap, scratch, or violently move your body, which can be people’s first reaction. As it feels similar to having a bug crawl on you. Not exactly one for one but very similar. Being around Jordan these past few days had led her to really hone in on perfecting the reactions. So that now, when he climbed onto her hand, she had no real reaction at all other than the thought about how strange it felt.

Pushing the door open with her free hand, she started walking down the hall. Immediately, she heard the meowing of Mocha as he rubbed against her ankles. She pushed her tears back, but it almost broke her thinking about how she was going to have to give up Mocha. He had always been a bit of a butt. However, he was her moody cat who had become part of the family. As her eyes drifted down to Jordan, she saw him clutching her finger tightly as Mocha followed her down the hall. She could tell Jordan was genuinely afraid of Mocha. She sighs softly, thinking there is just no way to keep them both. She was just glad her mom agreed to drop Mocha off with her cousin. She wondered if she would have been able to follow through with it if she had to. Even if it was for the best.

The silver lining, if there was one in all this, was that she was only going to have to look after one pet. Jordan was more work than Mocha was in a lot of ways. As with Mocha, it was easy to drop down food and water. That was it, other than the occasional vet visit and cleaning of the litter box. Jordan was much more of a hands-on pet. He wasn’t capable of fending for himself in any meaningful way. He would probably freeze to death without her. However, she also figured that was part of why her therapist didn’t push back on the notion of him being her companion animal.

“You smell that, Jordy? I can smell that bacon already.” Sara said as she took her index finger and petted him a few times.

“Uhh, are we having breakfast with your family?”

“Yeah, we always do unless Mom is working the morning shift. Then it’s just a free-for-all all. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, or waffles. My favorite meal of the day.” Sara said, rubbing her stomach just thinking about it. “I suppose this will be your first time, as Mom has been working so much with the Smallara outbreak,” Sara added.