FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

---

Kaeden's Commitment

by Draugr

Chapter XXVI: She's Just The Girl For Me

---

This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

---

Kaeden stayed at his father's house for a couple more days before moving back into his own home. He promised to keep in touch, and make weekly visits, at minimum. Both dogs wanted to get back in touch with each other. They found they had a surprising number of shared interests, from the types of movies they watched, to the kind of hobbies they enjoyed, and even the toy blocks Kaeden had gotten at his birthday party. His father had enjoyed them as a child, and still had a soft spot for creating with them.

Back at home, however, Kaeden had a more difficult time adapting. Being alone didn't feel right, and he began making nightly calls to Ashleigh before he could go to sleep. He pleaded with his former caregiver to allow him to stay again as a puppy, but she refused, saying that it would erase all the progress Kaeden had made toward independence. After a week, she made him promise to attempt to shorten the length of his nightly calls. She didn't mind talking to him, but she was worried that Kaeden was experiencing separation anxiety, and feeding into it too much would simply make him worse. Given the job he'd just gotten at a local factory, she especially didn't want to jeopardize him by causing a panic attack at work.

The next night's call, however, wasn't nearly as 'needy' as usual.

"Hey, Ashleigh," Kaeden said. "Just... calling to hear your voice again. I have a question this time, though."

"Oh? What is it?" the Pyrenees said, surprised.

"I'm not sure where I'm supposed to get more diapers," he said.

"You still aren't potty-trained?" she asked.

"No," Kaeden said quietly, blushing despite himself.

"If you're still having trouble in another week, Kaeden, you might want to see a doctor. You should be making progress by now. You_are_trying, aren't you?" she said accusingly.

"Yeah! I'm trying, honest, I am. I'm paying attention to that feeling you talked about, and trying to focus on feeling it sooner. I think I'm making a little progress, but... it's just slow."

"Oh, well, that's good. You stayed with me longer than any of my other charges by far, so I guess it might take you awhile. To answer your question, I can make a call to Joseph. Since it's the result of our program that caused you to need diapers for this long, it should be an expense our organization handles, at least for a little while longer. He should be able to ship some out to you soon - but I'll let you know for sure. If not, there's a medical supply store about halfway between your house and mine that should stock what you need. You moved back into your old home, correct?"

"Yes. But I usually stay one or two nights a week over at my Dad's house. We get along a lot better after you helped me, Mom-I mean, Ashleigh."

"That's great to hear, pup. Goodnight, and sleep well, okay?"

"Okay Mommy," he said, not bothering to correct himself. "Goodnight." He could have sworn he almost 'heard' Ashleigh grin over the phone before he heard a click.

Two days later, Kaeden got another shipment of diapers, although this one included pull-ups as well, in hopes that perhaps his daytime accidents, at least, would lessen in severity to the point where he could use the less absorbent garments.

It wasn't until almost a month later when Kaeden felt he could risk wearing them, however. His daytime accidents were happening progressively less and less, and when they did happen, he didn't flood his diaper. He still had to wear a diaper to bed, since his nighttime accidents had not improved at all. Ashleigh assured him that would come in time, after his daytime continence had returned.

His separation anxiety, however, had vastly improved - he was now only calling Ashleigh once every other night, and it was only for moments at a time. He didn't even feel as though he_needed_to hear her, either - at this point, it was just habit. One night, in fact, he completely forgot to call - he didn't realize this until he was woken up from a deep sleep, to see Ashleigh calling_him_on his cell.

"Kaeden! Are you okay?" she asked, sounding panicked.

"M... mommy?" he said, slurring his speech through his sleep. "I'm fine. Sorry I forgot to call."

"Oh, I'm glad you're okay. You're usually so prompt about calling, I was worried something had happened. I actually wanted to talk with you tonight, unless you want to get back to bed?"

"No, no, that's okay. What's going on?"

"You haven't asked for awhile, but, I was wondering if you still wanted to come visit to be my puppy again, for a day, anyway."

"I... I'd love that!" Kaeden exclaimed, excitement beginning to wake him up.

"I've got it cleared with Joseph. He thinks it could help Sonia, too, given the relationship you two had when you were my charge."

"Is she okay? Why do you need me?"

"Oh, she's doing wonderful, Kaeden. She's still fighting parts of the program, and usually manages to get herself into big trouble once or twice a day, but I can tell she's trying hard. She is just having more difficulty giving up her adult pride than you did. I think she wants to impress you when you come to visit, though."

"It sounds like I really left a mark."

"You left a mark on all of us, Kaeden. Me, Rashid, Alex, and I daresay even Joseph, even though you never met him face to face."

"Thanks," Kaeden said, his tail crinkle-wagging behind him on the bed. "So... when can I come?"

"Well, Alex is actually here working on his internship with me. He's leaving in two days, but if you could make it tomorrow, you'd get to see him again. Taking care of two puppies would be a good experience for him as well."

"I'll call in to work tomorrow. I have a few days I can use up during my probationary period."

"Are you sure they won't mind? I don't want you risking your new job." she said, sternly.

"I just can't miss more than three days. I have another two months left, and I haven't missed any days yet. One day won't be a big deal."

"Well, I'll see you in the morning, then. Do you want Rashid to pick you up?"

"I can't really remember the way to your house, so, yeah, I'd appreciate that. What time?"

"Expect him around six in the morning."

"Thanks. I'm really looking forward to seeing you, Mommy," he said.

"Me too, pup," she said. "Change your diaper before you go back to sleep. I want you to take care of yourself, you hear?"

"How'd you know?" he said, blushing.

"I was your mommy for over a year, Kaeden. I know when my pups need changed."

"Mommy-sense isn't real..." the Shepherd groaned.

"And yet, I was still right. Goodnight, Kaeden."

"Goodnight, Mommy."

Despite wanting to go back to bed, Kaeden didn't feel right ignoring something Ashleigh had told him, so he changed his diaper before crawling back under the sheets. Kaeden had a hard time getting to sleep that night through his excitement, but managed to get in a few hours before his alarm went off. After getting up, he removed his diaper, then showered. Although he was planning to be a puppy for the day, he still dressed in a pull-up and 'grown-up' clothing - he wanted to impress Ashleigh, knowing how important his independence was to her.

He'd packed the night before when he'd been unable to sleep. His 'baby' clothing was in there, as well as his pacifier, and a few diapers, just in case Ashleigh didn't have his nursery restocked or anything. He wanted to be prepared. He almost packed Ikici, but decided to leave him. Ashleigh's scent had faded from the plush, and he didn't want to risk his improving independence by bringing it back home, freshly-inundated with dependency.

He also had the box of chocolates Lily had gotten him. He still planned to share them with her at some point, but he hadn't been in a reliably good state of mind until the past few days, and didn't want her to see him like this. Still, he could at least share a piece with his former caregiver as a thank-you gift, and buy another box to share with Lily later.

Checking to make sure the chocolate was still in his case, and undamaged, he zipped back up his suitcase, left his home, locked the door, and walked out to the curb - right as Rashid pulled up. He got out of the car and walked over to the Shepherd.

"If you want to ride in the car seat, you can," he joked, extending a paw. "Good to see you, Kaeden."

The Shepherd took his paw in his own, giving it a firm couple of shakes. "Good to see you too... and if it's all the same, I'd prefer to ride in front."

The Rottweiler laughed. "I thought as much. You never did like that thing, even in one of your 'little' moods."

The drive over to Ashleigh's home was mostly spent in silence. Rashid briefly asked how Kaeden was doing, and the Shepherd told him how he'd been improving.

It was around seven-thirty when they finally arrived, and Kaeden's tail could not have been wagging faster if he tried. He was out of the car before it had even pulled to a stop, flying up the steps to the front door, where Ashleigh already stood waiting for him.

"Mommy!" he cheered, throwing himself into her arms. Ashleigh picked him up, swinging him around, and setting him down inside her house. "It's good to see you, pup," she said, grinning. "You know, as much trouble as you had letting go of me, I think I may have had a little trouble letting go of you, too."

"But now we're both okay, right?"

Ashleigh nodded. "That's why I let you come. And to meet someone, too," she said.

"Yeah, you mentioned on the phone Alex would be here."

"Not who I meant, puppy. Guess again."

"Sonia?" he asked.

"Nope. One more try."

"Uh... I give up."

Ashleigh laughed. "That's not a guess, but okay - there's a certain girl waiting for you in the living room, wondering why you haven't called her since you graduated."

"Lily?!" Kaeden gasped, releasing his caregiver and walking quickly around the corner. Just as the Pyrenees had said, the female Shepherd was there, waiting for him. Surprisingly, she was dressed in just a t-shirt and diaper. Lily blushed when Kaeden saw her, but the two still shared a quick hug, and an affectionate lick on the nose.

"This isn't really my thing," Lily said, folding back her ears and looking down at her diaper, "but I wanted to show you I meant what I said about liking the puppy 'you'. Ashleigh called and wondered if I wanted to play with you, and... I really wanted to see you."

"That means a lot, Lily, thanks," he replied, suddenly feeling a bit overdressed.

"I think I need to go check up on Alex and see how he's doing with Sonia," Ashleigh said, with a knowing smile, wanting to give the two an excuse to catch up and talk alone.

"You said you would call me," Lily said after Ashleigh had left.

Kaeden nodded. "I'm sorry, Lily. I really wanted to, but... I had problems adjusting to life away from Ashleigh, and I wasn't in any state to be with you."

"It's okay, Kaeden. I forgive you, but a phone call to tell me that would have been nice."

Kaeden pulled up his suitcase, unzipping it and taking out her birthday present to him. "I was gonna share this with Ashleigh since I wasn't sure when we'd be seeing each other again... but maybe it's time we finally shared some ourselves."

"That sounds great," Lily said, grinning. They ate a few, having fun guessing at the various flavors and fillings. Lily turned out to be much better at guessing than Kaeden was, although he still scored a few hits.

"So, now that we're all stuffed and putting on some puppy fat," Lily said, grinning. "Can we talk about us?"

"I'd like that," Kaeden said softly, looking over his shoulder to make sure Ashleigh hadn't returned. He trusted her enough, too, to know she wasn't eavesdropping via a hidden baby monitor or something similar.

"I want to take this slow, Kaeden," she said. "We've got a lot of... strange history between us, and I don't want that affecting us in a bad way. I like you, and I even like the 'puppy' you. I know that's always going to be a big part of who you are - why are you blushing?" she asked suddenly, in the middle of her monologue.

"It's just, y'know. I'm a little embarrassed. I wish I could give it up, so I could be all grown-up for you."

Lily laughed aloud, taking him by surprise. "Kaeden, look at me. I'm being a puppy for_you_. We can be grown-ups another day. I'm not just talking when I say that I like 'little Kaeden'."

He nodded. "I know. I'm glad, but I'm just worried you'll think of me as weak."

Lily smiled, and leaned in close - brushing his lips with an almost-kiss before reaching past to gently nibble on his ear.

"It's okay to need other people, Kaeden. Someone once told me that the best place in the world is in the arms of someone who will not only hold you at your best, but will pick you up and hug you tight at your weakest moment. I know Ashleigh has been that place for a long time now, but... if you'll let me, Kaeden, I'd like to be that place, too."

Kaeden turned his head, placing his paw on the side of hers, and the kiss they shared was all the response either of them needed.

I've just seen a face I can't forget the time or place Where we just meet She's just the girl for me And want all the world to see We've met, mmm-mmm-mmm-m'mmm-mmm

Had it been another day I might have looked the other way And I'd have never been aware But as it is I'll dream of her Tonight, di-di-di-di'n'di

Falling, yes I am falling And she keeps calling Me back again

I have never known The like of this, I've been alone And I have missed things And kept out of sight But other girls were never quite Like this, da-da-n'da-da'n'da

Falling, yes I am falling And she keeps calling Me back again

Falling, yes I am falling And she keeps calling Me back again

I've just seen a face I can't forget the time or place Where we just meet She's just the girl for me And want all the world to see We've met, mmm-mmm-mmm-da-da-da

Falling, yes I am falling And she keeps calling Me back again Falling, yes I am falling And she keeps calling Me back again Oh, falling, yes I am falling And she keeps calling Me back again

(I've Just Seen A Face - The Beatles)