It breaks my heart to write this so bear with me...

I woke up this morning hearing Willow's faint breathing because he head was laying on my shoulder. She sensed that I had opened my eyes, and she woke up and licked me on the face. I decided right there that she was mine. I took her into work in one of my dogs' sweaters and filled out the adoption papers. I called my landlord and they actually gave approval. She was finally mine. I was SO excited. I carried her around like a baby all day and she clutched to my arms and neck.

Then around 6pm a really nice 60 yr old woman and her 35 yr old daughter who lives with her came in. I saw them stop dead in their tracks and point at Willow who was in my arms. I sighed because I knew I was going to tell them that she is already adopted. They ran up to me and said they had seen Willow on our website and came 2 hours to see her. I kept trying to tell them that I had adopted her but it never came out. I told them they could fill out an application if they wanted to visit with her. I just said that without even knowing what I was doing. We were slow since it was getting late so I talked with them while they filled out the application. The mother had lost her toy fox terrier in October due to diabetes complications. She kept crying while talking about him and took pictures out of her purse to show me. Her daughter told me that she lost her Cairn Terrier in September due to old age. Also the older woman's mother died a day after their second dog died.

I went into a visitation room with them and told them about Willow and how special she is. I handed Willow to the older woman and Willow didn't even start to shake like she ALWAYS does when anyone but me gets around her. I am the only person she'll come to and the only person she won't shake and pant with nervousness around. But there she was in the woman's arms, very relaxed and not one single shake. While I was talking, her eyes kept closing and she was falling asleep she was so comfortable. I had to leave the room because my heart was falling into millions of pieces.

They came up to me a little while later and said they loved her. I told them they could take her home and they couldn't believe me. She kept saying "Are you sure???? We're not going to have to bring her back are we??" I counseled them on fearful dogs and they listened very intently. They wanted only the best for Willow. When we got near the end of the adoption, I bursted into tears and told them I had really wanted to adopt her. They both started crying and handed her back to me but I couldn't take her out of that woman's arms. They have my cell phone number and email address and promised to call me and bring her back to come visit me sometime.

That dog stole my heart and I'm so devastated. But when I came home tonight, Lolly seemed so much happier than she has been the past few days. I think both Lolly and Willow gave me signs that I did the right thing.

Willow is where she is supposed to be