My love-colored glasses for this bunny are as powerful as the rolling thunderclaps outside. I’m in the screened-in part of our deck, watching him—chewing, licking the webs of his paws, kicking his hind legs out like he’s sunbathing sideways, and suddenly catching the zooms. All this, within an hour of impulsively buying him from Noah’s Ark Pets when looking for fish.
When he didn’t bite Evelyn’s finger as she pressed it through the cage bars, and the way he followed her from one side of the enclosure to the next, and her giggles, sparked by his playful focus and sniffs – all did their part to fill up my emotional bank account until I batted my eyes at Dave in full-on yearning.
Puffy. Puffin. Puffer. Whatever, Puff is your preference, that’s what his name is.
He’s got a crate, a box, and a few blanket hidey-holes on the deck. But with the door to the living room cracked, he’s peeking in—hopping six feet inside, then abruptly hopping back out. He’s done this six times. His bobbly peekaboo routine has Evelyn and me cracking up.
I don’t want to talk about my eye strain anymore. I feel like a broken record. Even when I’m not on a screen, I’ll just be riding in the car and suddenly feel like my eyes are about to cry from sheer exhaustion. Like they’ve been working too hard and are ready to walk off the job.
It’s strange—just last week I finally named it, and now I feel like I’m already complaining too much. Like, I should shut up and stop being a baby. No one wants to hear about it, I think. And that thought makes me sad, because it feels lonely. I’m also scared. What if it’s a sign of something worse? I don’t know enough about eyes to know what’s serious and what isn’t.
I guess my panicky fear is more legitimate than I let myself believe. The unknowns—especially when health is involved—mess with me.
Speaking of eyes, also at the pet store was this guy. So who am I to complain?
Later, Dave and I put Evelyn to bed with Pufferton safely crated nearby. I dabbed Aquaphor on two raised red streaks on her tummy. For a second, I regretted the whole thing. Anything that hurts or disappoints Evelyn kicks Mama Bear into full gear.
But we’ll be okay. She’ll be okay. And we’ll have more good moments than not. Like earlier, when she whispered, “I never knew you could have bunnies for pets. This is the best.” The sweet cuddles. The way he runs up to her without hesitation.
That holds value, too.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 