A week after receiving the news, Zoey booked a flight back to Montana. She first stopped at her friend's house to pick up Happy. "Thank you so much for taking care of Happy while I'm gone."
"It is nothing Zoe, in fact, I quite gonna miss her. No one will snuggle to my side when she's hungry. I'm gonna miss you little girl" Zoey bide her goodbye after picking up Happy.
"Do you miss me Happy?" The dog answered her by licking and rubbing her nose to Zoey's face.
"Let us go now and pack our things out, soon you'll meet grandpa and grandma back home." She considered her dog as her child and take good care of Happy as if it is her own flesh and blood.
The apartment she's renting was on the fourth floor of the building, Zoey already contracted and arranged the moving company that will help her pack her things. A few hours, they, Zoey and the staffs of the moving company, finished the task and load the boxes to the truck downstairs.
"Miss Alcantara, we will send you a message once your items reached the pier and dropped to the harbor." The staff informed Zoey about the process of their company and the different numbers she'll have to call once her items reached the Philippine border.
"Thank you, mister, my address was written in the back part of the sheet I gave you. Please advise me for further updates. Thank you." The staffs left the building.
Zoey closed her door and collapsed her body to the bed left inside her room. There was some furniture that was unnecessary to bring one back home, so she decided to leave it there.
Happy climbed up the bed and lay down on top of Zoey's stomach and then yawned. When Zoey saw her dog's gesture, she then looked at the wall clock hanging on the wall. It was already 7 pm. She hasn't cooked anything yet, and it was already too late to prepare her dinner. She carried Happy and when to the restaurant near her building where they also serve pet meals.
The man opened the door for Zoey and greeted her. "I haven't seen the both of you for almost three months." It is the son of the owner of the restaurant. She befriends him after having Happy as she sometimes arrived late and didn't have enough time to prepare her food. When she first brought Happy here, Happy growled the other dogs. It was also the first time she saw Happy doing this, and she didn't know what to do. Happy is always been a calm and happy dog but for the first, she started being aggressive towards the other dogs.
Zoey was then about to leave the restaurant when a man, same age as her, approached them. He studied Happy's behavior then said, "I think your dog is afraid around the other dogs inside that is why she is growling like that." Zoey looked at him puzzled and curious as who was he. When the man saw Zoey's facial reaction, he stretched his arm forward then introduced himself. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm the son of the owner of this diner. I'm an ethologist by the way."
Zoey didn't know what ethologist mean; she was about to pick up her phone and search its meaning when the man in front of her spoke again, "I study animal behavior that is why I understand why your dog suddenly exhibits that kind of behavior."
"I can recommend you to eat outside; I'll set a table for you to eat."
Zoey and the man clicked together, they became an instant friend after that.
"I was on vacation, and I left Happy to my friend's house." Zoey entered the door and went to her favorite spot near the play area; she put Happy to play area then seated down. Greg, on the other hand, her and sat adjacent her.
"How your vacation?" He asked.
"Fun but it will be our last visit here as I was relocated to the branch in the Philippines." Zoey paused for a while as she felt a little lump of feelings rising to her throat, she doesn't want to cry in front of this guy because she knew he will mock her to death. "We have packed out our things and will be leaving tomorrow afternoon." When Zoey finished her words, Greg didn't show any changes in his expression; he just smiled at her and congratulates her for the relocation.
"That would be great, you'll soon be reunited to your family back home. So when I visit you there, you have to show me the wonders of your country." He said.
"Of course!"
"As this is your last meal here, it will be my parting treat to you and Happy. Order anything you like, the tab is on me."