Tiffany watched as the puppy drank clumsily, splashing water everywhere as he pushed the bowl all over the kitchen floor. She sighed; she’d have to clean that up, preferably before Taeyeon finished her shower.

Tiffany didn’t know what had come over her. The last thing they needed, she knew, was extra trouble. Extra trouble meant even more arguments, even more cold silences, even more resentful tension; and with things as on edge as they were at home, a puppy really was not a good choice.

But Sooyoung’s desperate plea in the work chatroom, and that picture of the little pup with his ears drooping comically over his eyes — she was helpless in the presence of soft, lost things, and this puppy was as soft and as lost as dogs could get.

In the back of her mind, Tiffany briefly wondered if “soft and lost” had gotten her into this mess in the first place. And then, somehow, over the years, Taeyeon had begun to grow hardened, and Tiffany found herself becoming the lost one in their relationship. She knew, of course she knew, that Taeyeon was going to end things. Very soon. And Tiffany didn’t know what to do about it.

What could she do against a decision that had already been made, right? Nothing. So she brought a puppy home, half out of pity for the scrap of fur and half out of pity for herself.

She looked down when something wet pressed itself lovingly against her knee. “Silly boy,” she said softly, picking the puppy up. There was a damp nose-mark on her jeans, now, but it was cute, kind of.

“You’re going to clean that mess up, right?"

Tiffany winced at the curt tone, turning around to see Taeyeon frowning at the kitchen floor with her hair still wet from her shower. Once upon a time, this was her favorite look on Taeyeon, but now…

“Yes, sorry.” She tried to keep the puppy from squirming out of her hold. “I’ll clean it up."

“Keep it in the kitchen."

“Okay."

For a moment, Taeyeon paused. Tiffany found herself hoping extravagantly in that second, hoping Taeyeon would maybe stay and talk, or pet the puppy, or smile, but of course—

“I’m going to bed. Don’t let it into my room."

“Good night,” whispered Tiffany to the puppy, almost as if Taeyeon could hear her.

btw this is gonna be 20 parts in total