A few days later, Quinn was back at the animal shelter, working on desk duty while Mrs. Alvarez helped the vet perform routine checkups on some puppies who’d been found behind a grocery store. Quinn would’ve liked to help, too, but Mrs. Alvarez was really strict. She never let any of the junior helpers near the animals until the vet had given them a clean bill of health—just to be on the safe side.

Quinn glanced up when the bells on the door rang. “Hey, Charlie. Back again?” she teased when she saw Charlie’s familiar red baseball hat. At this point, she would’ve been surprised if Charlie hadn’t come to visit Buddy. He faithfully arrived promptly at 3:29—right after the elementary school got out—every day after school. Mrs. Alvarez told Quinn that he’d visited Buddy over the weekend, too. He’d even taken the official adoption photo of Mr. DeLorio and his new kitten, a gray ball of fluff named Pixie.

“Yeah. Me and Buddy got to a really exciting part of our book yesterday,” Charlie told her. “I promised Buddy I wouldn’t read the next chapter without him. The waiting is killing me!”

“Wow! You’re a true friend,” Quinn said. “Don’t let me hold you up. I’m sure Buddy’s dying to know what happens next, too.”

Just as Charlie began to head back to Buddy’s pen, Quinn called after him. “Hey, Charlie—guess what?”

“What?” he asked.

“We’ve got five new puppies!” she exclaimed. “Dr. Trazler is giving them checkups right now, but if you want to peek through the exam room window, you could see them!”

Charlie smiled, but he shook his head. “That’s okay. Maybe next time,” he told her. “Buddy’s waiting for me.”

“Of course,” Quinn said. “I know you don’t want to keep Buddy waiting.”

She watched Charlie hurry down the hall toward Buddy’s pen. Charlie didn’t even need Quinn to let him in anymore. He practically knew enough to be a junior volunteer himself.

Quinn had just returned to filing paperwork when the bells jingled again.

“Hello?” a young woman called out as she entered. She was wearing blue scrubs, and that was probably why Quinn recognized her so quickly.

“Dr. Lu!” Quinn exclaimed as she got up from the desk. “Hi! How are you? I’m surprised to see you!”

The doctor looked confused for a moment.

“My name’s Quinn. You took care of me in the emergency room two years ago when I broke my arm,” Quinn continued. She held up her left arm and wiggled it around. “You did a great job, too.”

A look of recognition flashed through Dr. Lu’s eyes. “Of course! I remember now. A waterslide accident, right? Your best friend and her mom brought you in?”

“Yes!” Quinn cried. “That’s right!” She’d never forget how worried Annabelle had been. She’d refused to leave Quinn’s side. Even when Quinn had to get an X-ray, Annabelle waited in the hall and talked to her the whole time.

Quinn shook her head, as if to clear away the memory and focus on the present. “I’m one of the volunteers here. How can I help you?” she asked Dr. Lu.

“I’m interested in adopting a pet, I think. But it’s kind of a specific situation,” Dr. Lu replied.

“Okay,” Quinn replied. She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper so she could take notes. “Tell me more.”

“My mother’s going to move to Marion,” Dr. Lu explained. “She lives in Texas right now, and ever since my dad died a few years ago, she’s been really lonely. So we thought it might be a good idea for her to move here so she could be closer to family.

“The only problem is that I have to work really long shifts a few days a week,” she continued. “When I’m on call, I might have to stay at the hospital for twenty-four hours or longer. I hate the thought of my mom sitting alone in the house for hours and hours and hours.”

“So are you thinking of getting a companion animal?” Quinn asked.

“Yes, exactly,” Dr. Lu replied. “And to be honest, I’ve wanted a pet for a long time myself! But it wouldn’t have been fair to bring a pet into my home, not with a work schedule like that.”

“So the right pet will be good for your mom… and for you,” Quinn said.

“That’s what I hope,” Dr. Lu replied. “It’s kind of silly.…”

Quinn waited while Dr. Lu tried to find the right words.

“When I was a kid, we had to move to a new state for my dad’s job,” Dr. Lu continued. “I was so unhappy about leaving all my friends, and my school, and my bedroom. But my parents surprised me with a puppy when we got to our new house. It was the best surprise ever! Sparky was my best friend. Eventually, I made friends with kids at my new school, but Sparky made the transition so much easier. So I guess I’m hoping a new dog will help my mom as she gets used to the move.”

Quinn picked up on the word “dog,” which led to her next question. “Do you have a preference for a dog or a cat?”

Dr. Lu looked thoughtful. “A dog, I guess,” she replied. “We always had dogs when I was growing up. I wouldn’t know the first thing about taking care of a cat!”

Quinn made a few notes. “Anything else I should know?” she asked.

“We probably can’t handle a puppy,” Dr. Lu told her. “So a calmer, adult dog would be great. Preferably one who’s already been trained. And a smaller dog is a good idea, too, since my mom will be responsible for taking him or her out when I’m at work.”

Quinn paused. “Do you live in a house or an apartment?” she asked.

“A house,” Dr. Lu replied.

“What about the backyard? Is it fenced?” Quinn asked.

“Yes,” Dr. Lu said. “My hope is that Mom will take our dog for walks in the neighborhood when it’s nice out. But at night, or when it’s raining or snowing, she can just open the back door to let the dog out.”

“Sounds good,” Quinn replied. “Would you like to meet some of our dogs?”

Dr. Lu nodded. “Yes! I’m excited! And I know Mom will be, too—if we find the right one.”

The right one.

That was the challenge, wasn’t it? Sometimes, a match happened easily. Other times—not so much.

Quinn racked her brain, trying to anticipate which dog would be best for Dr. Lu and her mom. She’d already said no puppies, so the new pups were out of the question. And she wanted a smaller dog, which meant that Buddy wasn’t the right one, either. And neither was Tops, an enormous bullmastiff. There was another reason why Tops wouldn’t be right—he had a very special dog friend, Tippy, an itty-bitty West Highland terrier. Dr. Trazler called Tops and Tippy a bonded pair, which meant that they needed to stay together, no matter what. It was usually harder to find someone who was willing to adopt more than one animal at a time, but in the case of Tops and Tippy, Quinn knew that Mrs. Alvarez would never separate them. They didn’t just love each other—they needed each other.

“Applesauce!” Quinn said suddenly.

Dr. Lu gave her an odd look. “Sorry?” she said. “What did you say?”

“You should meet Applesauce,” Quinn said, beaming. “She’s the sweetest little cocker spaniel! She’s four years old and very well trained. And she weighs about twenty-five pounds, so she’s not too big.”

“A cocker spaniel?” Dr. Lu repeated. “They’re great dogs. Yes, I’d love to meet her.”

“Follow me!” Quinn sang out.

As they walked through the dog area, Quinn snuck a glance at Buddy’s pen. Charlie was sitting with his back against the wall, Buddy’s head in his lap. He held his book with one hand as he read, while using his other hand to pet Buddy. They looked so content together, a perfect fit.

“That’s wonderful,” Dr. Lu said.

“What is?” asked Quinn.

Dr. Lu gestured toward Buddy’s pen. “I didn’t know the shelter has a reading program for pets,” she said. “I read an article about it online a while ago. It’s such a cool idea. Kids get to practice their reading skills, and animals get companionship and affection while they wait to be adopted.”

“It is a great idea,” Quinn said, nodding in agreement, “but we don’t have a program like that here. That little boy just really, really likes that dog. He comes almost every day.”

“Aww,” Dr. Lu said. “How sweet.”

“I’ll tell Mrs. Alvarez about that reading program, though,” Quinn continued. “I bet a bunch of kids would like to read to our animals. Well—here’s Applesauce!”

When she heard her name, Applesauce popped up and trotted over to the door, wagging her short, stubby tail.

Quinn watched Dr. Lu out of the corner of her eye. There it was—the widening smile, the gleaming eyes. Quinn had a good feeling about this match—a very good feeling. She opened up Applesauce’s pen and clipped a leash on Applesauce’s collar.

“We have a visiting room over here,” Quinn told Dr. Lu. “You and Applesauce can hang out for as long as you want. There’s a button on the wall—see it?—that you can push when you’re ready for me to come back.”

“Thanks so much for your help, Quinn,” Dr. Lu replied. “I think Applesauce and I are going to get along just fine.”

Quinn was grinning as she headed back to the front desk. She stole one more look at Charlie and Buddy, who seemed happier than ever. There was just one thing wrong with that picture, though: Buddy and Charlie should be hanging out in Charlie’s home, sprawled on the couch together. Not crouched on the hard floor of the animal shelter.

Quinn didn’t want to disturb them—but she couldn’t resist. She tapped softly on the door to Buddy’s pen, then let herself in.

“How’s it going?” she asked Charlie. “Do you need anything?”

Charlie, smiling, shook his head. “Nope,” he replied. “Me and Buddy are great. All we need is each other.”

“I can tell how much Buddy loves you,” Quinn told the little boy. “I think you’re his favorite person ever!”

It was the right thing to say; Charlie’s smile grew even bigger.

And then Quinn blew it.

“Do you think your family might adopt Buddy?” she asked.

Charlie’s smile vanished in an instant. “No,” he said in a small, sad voice.

Quinn waited for him to continue, but Charlie didn’t say anything else. She felt like she’d made a huge mistake—but how? It was a simple question. Anybody who saw Charlie and Buddy together would want to know if the Ferrino family was going to adopt Buddy.

“Well,” Quinn said, forcing herself to sound cheerful, “you can visit Buddy whenever you want!”

“Thank you,” Charlie replied. His voice still sounded very small.

Quinn slipped out of Buddy’s pen and closed the door behind her. I just don’t get it, she thought, shaking her head. It was so obvious that Buddy and Charlie were meant to be together. And Charlie’s mom liked dogs.… She’d come to the shelter to adopt one for her workplace and obviously enjoyed spending time with the pups.

So what was the problem?

The question was still on Quinn’s mind when she got back to the front desk, where Mrs. Alvarez was finishing up a phone call.

“How are the new puppies?” Quinn asked when Mrs. Alvarez hung up.

“A clean bill of health!” Mrs. Alvarez announced. “They’re just adorable, too… a pack of roly-poly fluffballs. Dr. Trazler wants them in quarantine for another week, but after that I think they’ll find homes fast.”

“That’s great,” Quinn replied. And it was—but she couldn’t help thinking that it was a little, well, unfair. The puppies had just arrived, and they’d probably all have new homes by the end of the month.

But Buddy had been waiting for months—over a year. Where was his forever family? When would it be his turn?

“Something wrong?” Mrs. Alvarez asked lightly. Quinn realized that her expression must’ve given away her thoughts.

“I was just thinking about Buddy,” Quinn said with a sigh. “He and Charlie are total besties. But Charlie says they’re not going to adopt him. Why?”

There was a strange look on Mrs. Alvarez’s face. Quinn didn’t know what it meant.

Then Mrs. Alvarez sighed. “Quinn, I’d like to tell you something in confidence,” she began. “Do you know what that means?”

“Super-secret, private info?” Quinn guessed. “Never to be repeated?”

“Pretty much,” Mrs. Alvarez replied.

Quinn waited expectantly for Mrs. Alvarez to continue… though suddenly, she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to know what Mrs. Alvarez was going to tell her.

“Charlie and his mom can’t adopt Buddy because they can’t afford him,” Mrs. Alvarez said in a low voice.

Quinn blinked. She knew that having a pet was expensive—in fact, one of the saddest reasons why people gave their pets over to the shelter was because they could no longer afford to take care of them—but she hadn’t expected that to be the case for Charlie and his mom. After all, Ms. Ferrino had a job! Her job at Candlewick Assisted Living was the reason Charlie and Buddy had even met each other.

“But—” Quinn began.

“I saw what you saw in Buddy and Charlie,” Mrs. Alvarez continued. “The perfect match. I was so excited! I thought, at last, our sweet Buddy had found his forever family.”

Quinn nodded. She’d thought so, too.

“But as the days passed, and Ms. Ferrino didn’t ask about adoption papers for Buddy, I got a bad feeling,” Mrs. Alvarez said. “So a couple of days ago, I decided to ask her myself. That’s when she told me that she went back to school in September.”

“Back to school?” Quinn repeated.

Mrs. Alvarez nodded. “Right now, she’s a nurse’s aide,” she told Quinn. “But when she graduates, she’ll be a nurse practitioner—and able to earn a lot more money. In the meantime, though, things are going to be pretty tight for her and Charlie. Higher education doesn’t come cheap. There’s tuition, books, supplies… not to mention times when Ms. Ferrino will have to work a little less to focus on her studies.”

Quinn was starting to understand—not that it made it any easier. “So they can’t adopt Buddy right now,” she said slowly. “But after Ms. Ferrino graduates, they’ll have more money, right? How long will that take?”

“Two years,” Mrs. Alvarez replied. “But there’s good news here—because Ms. Ferrino already said that as soon as she finds a new job, she and Charlie will adopt a dog for sure!”

Quinn barely heard that last part, though. After Mrs. Alvarez said “two years,” it was like her ears shut down. “Two years?” she repeated incredulously. “Two years? But Buddy can’t wait that long! He’s already so sad and lonely!”

Mrs. Alvarez chose her next words carefully. “Well, Quinn, of course the hope is that Buddy will be adopted long before then,” she said. “Just because the Ferrinos won’t be his forever family doesn’t mean he won’t find a different one.”

“You mean separating Buddy and Charlie?” Quinn asked slowly. The thought was almost worse than imaging Buddy living in the shelter for two more years.

“I know it’s not ideal,” Mrs. Alvarez replied gently. “But ultimately, the best thing we can hope for Buddy is that he finds a loving home as quickly as possible. Right?”

Quinn nodded without saying a word. The big lump that had formed in her throat made it hard to speak.

“And even though that won’t be Charlie, look how much Buddy has gotten from his visits,” Mrs. Alvarez continued. “And I think Charlie’s gotten a lot from Buddy, too.”

Quinn tried to smile.

“Sometimes it’s not easy to work or volunteer here,” Mrs. Alvarez said. “Sometimes things don’t work out quite the way we hoped. But that’s the thing, Quinn—there’s always hope. There’s hope for every single animal we take care of. And hope for every single person who comes through that door.”

Just then, the buzzer rang. Quinn jumped. “That’s Dr. Lu,” she exclaimed. “She’s been getting to know Applesauce.”

Mrs. Alvarez raised her eyebrows. Quinn saw a flash of the hope she’d mentioned.

Mrs. Alvarez pressed the button on the wall and leaned close to the intercom. “How’s it going?” she asked.

Dr. Lu’s voice crackled over the speaker. “I’m ready to adopt Applesauce! What do I need to do next?”

“That’s wonderful news!” Mrs. Alvarez replied, grinning at Quinn as she made the thumbs-up sign. “Quinn will be right there to get Applesauce so you can fill out some paperwork.”

Quinn tried to match Mrs. Alvarez’s enthusiasm. It really was great news that Applesauce would have a home of her very own. But Quinn couldn’t shake the feeling that it was always the other dogs who got lucky… and never Buddy.

“Don’t give up on Buddy,” Mrs. Alvarez told Quinn, as if she could read her thoughts. “I still believe the right family will find him. It’s just taking longer than we would like.”

“I won’t give up,” Quinn replied.

But as she hurried down the hallway to get Applesauce, Quinn couldn’t bear to even glance in the direction of Buddy’s pen, where he and Charlie were having so much fun together. She thought about how hopeful she’d been the other day—that maybe a Christmas miracle was possible for Buddy and Charlie.

Now, though, Quinn had to admit… maybe not.