Momo was taking her usual walk through the park - a shortcut - as she started home from dance practice.  A bunch of choreographers were in town for some event and she was trying to get in as many workshops as she good.  Today's was krumping. Every single muscle (ones she didn't even know she had) ached.  

She trudged through the park slower than usual, and was nearly asleep while standing until she heard an unmistakble bark.  Her head turned up, eyes darting around to find the source.  A few more barks joined in chorus, some high, some low, one y growl that could be a Doberman.  She picked up speed, not knowing where she was going, only following the sound.

Then something small and fluffy ran over her shoe and in her panic not to step on whatever precious creature was just underfoot, she jolted forward, and knocked someone else along with herself onto the ground.

"I'm sorry!"  She looked out between squinted eyes, rubbing her forehead as it had collided with a very bony shoulder, and then following a path up a long khaki coat, met an embarrassed smile, and dark brown eyes.

"No I'm sorry," the girl replied.  She stood up clumsily, looking as though she might trip on her way up, and held out her hand to Momo.  

Momo took it gingerly, using the strength of her own legs to push herself up.  

"I lost control of them for a sec, and Marley ran right for you."

Momo's eyes widened, suddenly remembering the dogs.  She looked down again, and sure enough, a poodle-mix - Marley - was happily panting at Momo's feet.  

"Awww," Momo cooed.  She bent down, opening her arms and Marley leapt right in, Momo's face as if apologizing for the mess.  She was forgiven instantly.

"Are you okay?"

Momo just remembered the girl with the dog.  She looked over at her, still cradling the puppy, and smiled.  "I am now."

The girl laughed.

"Well I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to take her away from you."

"Noo!"  Momo couldn't help her whine.  She held Marley closer.

The girl tilted her head slightly, hand on her hip like a fond parent.

"I know, I'd like to keep her too but she's not mine.  Actually none of them are."  She gestured out towards a crowd of dogs and Momo gasped, noticing them all for the first time.  Her heart swelled seeing all their sweet smiling faces.  "I'm a dog-walker," the girl finished, "and I need to get most of them home in the next hour."

Momo reluctantly put Marley down.

She was still looking at her adorable wet nose when she said, "do you need any help?"  Then she looked up, embarrassed, about to retract her offer despite her powerful urge to follow these dogs to the ends of the Earth, when-

"-sure!"

The girl smiled, eyes squinting as she did so, reminding Momo a bit of a jack-o-lantern.  Like light seemed to be resonating from some hollowed out place behind them.  She took the leash the girl handed over.

"My name is Sana by the way, since you hadn't asked yet.  And you?"

"I'm Momo."

She laughed.  

"No wonder."

"No wonder what?"

The girl shook her head.

"This guy is Ted.  I call him Teddy because I think Ted is a business name, and Teddy is a cute widdle baby name."  Momo picks up another leash, this one attached to a Jack Russel Terrier.  He looks a little sniffly. 

"He's taking medicine for it," Sana explains, "but don't worry, he never sneezes or drools on people.  He's very well-behaved."

Momo nods, awestruck.  Teddy could probably take a on her shoes and she wouldn't be mad at him (even though this is her second favorite pair).

Sana keeps hold of the other four leashes and starts walking again, Momo quick to follow behind.

Sana talks the whole way but Momo only listens to part of it.  She remembers as they go along how tired she actually is, and her calves are angry at her for taking this unnecessary detour.  When they get to their last doorstep Momo collapses at the bottom, urging Sana to go ahead and return her last dog while Momo's feet take a break.  She hears a door open, excited barking, Sana reports on his pooping behavior and then wishes the owner goodnight.  ("bye to you too, lovely!" she coos at the beagle.  he barks back.)

Momo feels rather than sees Sana sit down beside her.  Her head is in her hands, and she's trying to psyche herself up for the rest of the walk home.

"I'm sorry," Sana says.  "I shouldn't have made you walk all the way here."

"I asked."

"I could've said no.  Puppies are way more fun when they're not your responsibility."

"I have three dogs at home."

"In your apartment?"

"Back home in California.  With my parents."

Sana grins.  "Point proven."

Momo shoves at her with her shoulder.  

"Let me pay you back," Sana amends.  "I'll buy you dinner!"

The sound of dinner perks Momo up.  She looks up at Sana, meets her amused grin and raises her an eyebrow.  "You're really aquiescent for a stranger."

"Hey that's an SAT word!"

"What?"

"My friends and I always call each other out for using difficult words.  Clearly none of us did very well on our SATs."  She looks down a little, embarrassed.

"My sister taught it to me.  It's like the only question I got right on my vocab test in honors English.  That and 'loll' because I think it's so funny."

"Well if your sister's the smart one then what are you?"

Momo doens't know how to respond.  Her stomach grumbles, and she's so tempted to take Sana's offer, but she really has to get home.  She shakes her head.  "I'm sorry, I can't.  I mean I want to, I really want to, but I can't."

Sana barely conceals her dissapointment. Momo's about to wave goodbye, finally make her way home when Sana grabs her hand.  "Let me put my number in your phone.  I hope you're not secretly a murderer because I don't end up on the news in a couple days  being found dead in Central Park surrounded by a bunch of random dogs."

Momo is amazed that Sana is still talking.  In three hours she hasn't run out of things to say.  She wraps Momo's fingers back around her phone and smiles.

"I'll pay you back eventually.  Just text me when you're free.  Or just run into me at the park again.  That was fun."

"Are you serious?"

"No it hurt like Hell."

Momo laughed, but internally.  Externally she just sighed, and waved at Sana, and finally, finally, started walking back home.