Mandatory Motherhood: Short Stories

Pets

“Amore, stay still. No stay still. Sit!” Amore was whimpering and trying to get out of a wash basin as Chris was holding her down and pouring hot water. It was a losing battle considering the difference in size and strength. Amore carried Chris right out of the tub and started making happy sounds.

Chris on the other hand growled and held on for her life as Amore began to shake the water off. Amore began licking Chris’s face knocking her off and then howled in triumph. “Oh, you think you have won have you, Amore?” Amore sat down and panted happily while her tail wagged back and forth as if responding.

Chris wiped her licked fur and eyed Amore down. “If you won't take a bath we will have to shave your fur down again, and this time you will be bald. Do you want that?” Amore growled in response, she didn’t want to be shaved again. “Or how about fleas? Do you want to be covered in fleas?” Amore scrunched back and started whimpering at the mention of fleas.

Chris smiled. “If you don’t stay clean the anti-flea medicine won't work on your coat and those buggers will turn you into a mobile home. Do you want tons of tiny bugs living in your fur and biting you all over,? If you don’t get in the tub please.” Amore whimpered more and backed away from Chris causing her to let out an exasperated sigh.

Mia shouted as she came gliding down from wherever she had perched herself and shouted out her greeting. “Hello!” She Startled both Chris and Amore which caused Mia to giggle. “Trying to give your giant doggy a bath?” Amore Started to growl at Mia but stopped when Chris stared at her.

Chris sighed when Amore calmed down and looked back to Mia. “Yes, but this big goofball won't cooperate, despite how stinky she has gotten. Starla won't stay around her now and it’s making Amore depressed, yet she still won't bathe.”

Mia looked at Chris questioningly. “Has Amore been like this since she was a puppy?”

Chris jumped up and pulled Amore’s down then scratched her chin. “I don’t know honestly. We had to trick Amore into the walk-in shower in the RV and then trap her inside it to bathe her otherwise she would run away.

Mia looked confused. “Wait, how do you not know?”

Chris chuckled as Amore rolled over to present her belly, and started giving her belly rubs in response. “Well… She isn’t my dog.”

Mia looked at them in shock. “You mean to tell me you just tamed some random dog off of the street?”

Chris chuckled at Mia’s remark. “No, of course not.” She avoided Amore’s kicking leg and kept rubbing her belly. “Amore is the pet of an elderly couple who lived several blocks from where I lived in Gillette. She has always been very friendly and kind.”

Mia looked a little less scared but didn’t seem to be convinced. “She didn’t treat me like that when we met.”

Chris pointed at Mia with her hoof. “You popped up out of nowhere in our locked bathroom scaring me and that set her off.”

Mia giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her head. “Fair… Then why is she with you now?”

Chris hummed. “Don’t know. She could tell I was human when I walked by her house, and when she met Starla she became very protective of her. She had made her pack of the local dogs whose owners had disappeared. But for some reason, she gave that up and stayed with us. So it's not like we own her, it is more like she adopted us. She is family now.”

Mia made a squeaking sound as she smiled. “Ahh, that’s so sweet! So uh… How do we bathe her then?”

Amore immediately rolled back onto all fours and growled at the word bath then yelped in surprise as she was lifted into the air and held under one arm by Aaron. He smiled at the mares and nodded in the direction of the barracks. “I’ll bath her, I was just going to clean up anyways.” Amore paddled in the air and whispered.”

Chris smiled and nodded her head. “Thank you, Aaron. That would be a big help.”

They watched Aaron march off Amore was big but Aaron is bigger. Miia let out a hmmm getting Chris’s attention. “What’s wrong Mia?”

Mia pointed at the sun. “It’s 10:30 am, he only showers before dinner… also I want to bathe with him! I haven’t gotten to have a bath with Aaron yet!” Chris just started laughing in response.