chapter 17 december 2019

December 2019

As it turned to December it could not have been better. It was our first Christmas together as husband and wife so it was perfect. It was funny because it snowed in the first week and it was priceless seeing Rex enjoy his first winter. So, we were in that back yard and Anna pegged a snowball at me nocking me into a snow pile. I started laughing my ass of and said, "Nice pawn shot Ann." She went red and said, "Don't look at me the dog did it." I yelled, "Rex come on over buddy." It snowed about 12 inches so I so I saw Rex hop above the top of the snow and then disappear, and repeat until I heard a popping sound and a loud yelp. I knew exactly what it was. I had a Belgian Shepard when I was growing up and he would always dislocate his paw from landing on it wrong. He did it so much my vet even taught me how to set it back in place, because he was a horrible patient. Now that the history lesson is over I sprang up and found rex trying to hop while trying not to put pressure on his front left paw. Anna was hysterical because she didn't know what to do and ran in the house to call the vet while I set his paw back in place.
I opened the back door and let our snow covered furry friend walk in to the petrification of Anna because he was walking on his front left paw like nothing had happened. Anna gave me a blank stare, and muttered, "Who? I called the vet they can see Rex now." I said, "That's what happens when you have a Belgian Shepard when you grow up who hates the vets but doesn't mind when the guy taking him on walks sets his foot back into place." Anna just said, "Oh. But I still want to take him to the vet." I was not about to get into an article with wife about this so I just obliged.
We got the vet and under Anna's wishes I carried Rex inside. Damn dog got treated like a king, but I mean he was 40lbs and I could lift more than 200lbs. Over by the front desk was Dr. Nice; she was the vet that all those years ago taught me how to set my dogs paws back in place after landing on it funny. I said, "Hello," as she looked up from her clip board. "Hi Matt. I heard what happened I told Anna I could look at it but you knew what you were doing." I said, "Yeah, but I have to pick my battles wisely and I haven't done this in a few years so it just went along with it." Dr. Nice said, "May I take him?" All I could say was, "Sure," as I passed Rex to her.
Dr. Nice went back to a general room with a few medical stations as she checked Rex out I causally strolled to a cage where two kittens were frolicking in the confines of the big wire box. Anna was a dog person, and I have no problem with dogs, but cats are my weakness. Dr. Nice strolled out holding Rex and handing him to Anna when I heard Anna say, "I never knew Matt liked cats." As I had a finger in the cage playing with the two kittens. Then I heard Nice say to Anna, "He never has told you he loves cats. I remember in high school he would volunteer here on cat adoption events, and he even had a cat all the way up to about two years ago." Anna asked, "What happened two years ago?" Nice said solemnly, "Well Tigger, the cat, was about 16 years old which was a good run, but it was best if we put him down he was in a lot of pain." I could tell Anna was getting a little emotional when she asked, "Was Matt there when you put him down?"
Dr. Nice said, "Yes, but pulled in all the favors I owed him if he could hold Tigger as we put him down. He said it just didn't feel right letting him lay there on a cold table when his last moments could be clutched comfortably in the arms of someone that carried about his some much over the years." I could hear that Anna was holding back tears. Anna and Dr. Nice walked up to me while I was still playing with the kittens. Then Nice said, "Hey you still remember when you volunteered back in high school at the cat adoption events?" I pulled my fingers out of the cage to look at them and said with what felt like a small lump in my trough, "Yeah those were the good old days." Anna piped up still on the verge of balling her eyes out, "You never told me you were a cat person."
"I knew you weren't one so it just didn't seem relevant." I said calmly. Anna calmed down a bit when she said, "Why don't we adopt the two kittens they have here?" I looked at Anna puzzled and said, "How about this Anna once we both let our emotions calm down about this we can discuss this rationally?" I turned to Dr. Nice and said, "I know this may be asking a lot but could you just maybe get me an adoption form?" Dr. Nice said, "With pleasure." Anna still looked quite emotional, but it was a sad story to hear though it did show my willingness to go above and beyond for someone other than myself; something she liked a lot.
Nice came back with two sheets, and said "I don't think the Damnity keeping brothers together policy is still a thing?" I laughed a little and said, "Yes. Let's see which one is Kilroy, and Tigger?" Nice pointed each of them out when I said, "well he has a very fitting name, when I referred to the one named Tigger." I said, "Well it nice having you look at Rex on such short notice, and thank you so much for the adoption information. Have a happy holiday." Nice said good bye and have a happy holiday as we left. Anna tried to get me to tell me stories about Tigger, but I wasn't in the mood to walk down memory lane like that.
A few days later was when we went holiday shopping for all our gifts. Anna dragged me into Victoria secret since she needed new bras since most were B cups when she was now a solid C cup. Let's just say the curvy blond bombshell look was strong with this one. Before I always hated underwear shopping, but this was the first time I was antsy to see those C cup breasts in something they were designed for. Anna also took the liberty after that excursion to drag in a few stores to get me some gifts.
Let's just say I baked a lot of cookies this season and I always loved when Anna would stroll into the kitchen take a cookie fresh from the oven and try to sneak away before I would come up behind her and swing her off her feet and say, "You know if you keep eating those cookies you won't stay 135." She only gave me a pouty face and said, "Hey I am following your workout regimen and all I have to do is 5 extra squats to work off one cookie so I am fine." The new unafraid to eat Anna was almost an early Christmas gift if I think about it long enough.
Then we decided to hold a Christmas party and it rocked. Everyone was having fun, but something didn't since Anna was giving me the playful catch if you can feel until I finally got to her when she pointed up. Now I didn't hang any mistletoe in the house, because I passionately kissed her a few times a day; now saying that she had hung a piece of mistletoe. She proceeded to grab my tie and drag me in for a kiss. I didn't mind the new always craving love blond bombshell Anna.
Christmas eve came and I couldn't negotiate a combined Christmas eve dinner so we went to both. Let's just say Anna at that point she became the most stuffed that I had seen her in a long time. We got home around 10pm, and Anna said half painfully and playfully, "Honey could I get a belly rub for an early Christmas gift?" I obliged to feel a rock-hard gut filled to the brim with food. "Wow you were an eating machine tonight. Want to open up one Christmas gift tonight?" Anna looked up, "After a few more minutes of this then we can do it."
So, I got down there first followed by a bloated and sluggish Anna. I went straight to the tree looking for a gift I got Anna that would surprise her, and reached for large almost thin rectangular object. Anna on the other hand went into the other room to bring out a large box with holes lining the top. We exchanged gifts and I pried the top of mine off to see the two kittens from the vets sitting in the box. I turned to an with such speed I am surprised I didn't give myself whiplash and said, "Anna you shouldn't have." She opened my gift to see a picture collage made of all the best pictures I could find of us together as a couple that culminated in our marriage. Anna said, "Matt if you liked cats it would only be a matter of time before we adopted, and since I know the story with you and your cat true they found a great home. Thank you for the picture I know exactly where is should go." Anna walked over to the fireplace mantle and put it near the center. I said to Anna playfully, "That's perfect babe."
Anna turned around and asked, "I know the kittens had names when I adopted them, but do you want to change their names?" I turned my head to view the box of the two brothers playing with each other. I said, "Yeah. How about Clausewitz, and Teddy." Anna gave me a surprised look, "Those are two distinctive names." I replied, "Yeah I mean instead of Clausewitz since Kilroy is all black with a white patch on his chest and him being the most talkative we could call him preacher?" Anna giggled a bit and said. "Yeah that seems more fitting for both of them." We introduced the two playful kittens to Rex who was still a puppy so they got off great. Our parents came over for Christmas dinner to be greeted by the newest addition to the family. All and all a very good first Christmas with the new Mrs. Damnity.