being back in his hometown was a bittersweet experience, but at the very least, harriet was happy. will had always felt a little guilty for having such an energetic dog in the middle of the city — no matter how many walks they went on, it was hard to escape the concrete. being home was like a never-ending day at the dog park for her; so much nature to enjoy. her high level of excitement was nice to witness, but a little overwhelming as well, especially when he was so distracted by the constant barrage of work emails pinging his phone. passing by a bench, they stopped abruptly, will’s eyes glued to his phone for a few seconds before he realized harriet wasn’t just pausing by a tree. instead, she was deep in dog-conversation with a golden retriever, who was straining at his leash to get closer to her. “you making a friend?” will chuckled, giving the dog’s owner a perfunctory once-over — and then a second glance. jesus, what were the odds? “uh, well. don’t worry, she doesn’t bite.”