V: Rainy Encounter

"Is it normal for Cinnamon to be acting like this?" Amy inquired, her voice filled with concern as she lovingly stroked her pet's head.

Monique was currently inside Amy's condo. She had noticed earlier that her friend was limping when she answered the door, and she had spotted a bandage on her foot. Now, she gazed down at the dog nestled in Amy's arms and then rose from her seat on the sofa to approach them.

"Let me take care of Cinnamon," Monique offered, gently reaching for the dog. "Hey, Cinnamon," she cooed to the dog, her hand caressing its fur. "What's bothering you?"

"What's wrong with her?" Amy asked, her concern reflecting not only in her voice but also in her expression.

Monique shifted her attention from Cinnamon to Amy as she responded. Her friend's worry was palpable.

"Cinnamon hasn't been eating much. Earlier, when I tried to feed her, she devoured her food. She was even frolicking in the living room, and then she suddenly became like this. She just slumped down, probably tired from all the running," Amy explained, her eyes fixed on her dog.

Monique nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm... has Cinnamon been more affectionate towards you in the past few days?" she asked Amy.

Amy affirmed with a nod. "Yes," she replied. "She's been unusually affectionate," she added.

"And how about her behavior?" Monique inquired further.

"I've noticed some changes in her behavior," Amy replied.

"Has she been a bit irritable at times too?"

Once again, Amy nodded, confirming Monique's suspicions. Monique now had a pretty good idea of what might be happening with the dog. However, to confirm her hunch, she needed to examine Cinnamon more closely. She checked the dog's abdomen and noticed it was slightly swollen.

Monique couldn't help but smile as she continued to stroke Cinnamon. Her hunch had proven correct. "Congratulations, Cinnamon," she said with a smile.

Amy looked puzzled. "Why are you congratulating her?" she asked, her forehead furrowing in curiosity.

Monique smiled warmly at her friend. "Cinnamon is expecting puppies," she informed her.

Monique couldn't help but notice the sparkle in Amy's eyes upon hearing the news, and her mouth fell open in surprise.

"Cinnamon is pregnant. Your baby is having babies," she repeated with an amused tone.

"Oh," Amy responded. At that moment, Monique could see the joy that lit up her friend's eyes. "Oh, Cinnamon. Come here," she called to her pet.

Cinnamon responded with a cheerful bark. Monique gently handed Cinnamon over to Amy.

"You're going to be a mom," Amy told her pet with affection. "I'm so happy for you," she added.

"Bring her in the clinic tomorrow, but for now, I’ll give her some vitamins. Let's also schedule a checkup to ensure both she and her baby are healthy," Monique suggested.

Amy nodded gratefully, her smile warm. "Thank you, Monique," she said.

"You're welcome," Monique replied. She then took a seat beside her friend. Amy gently placed her pet on the floor and walked away, presumably to attend to Cinnamon.

"Anyway, how's your foot?" Monique inquired after a moment, her gaze falling to Amy's bandaged foot.

"It still hurts," Amy honestly admitted.

"Have you seen a doctor yet?" Monique asked with concern.

"Yeah, I did," Amy confirmed.

"What did they say?"

"They just gave me some pain relievers and scheduled a follow-up checkup for tomorrow," Amy explained.

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Monique offered. She knew Amy might have difficulty going to the hospital by herself.

"No, Monique. Tameka already offered to come with me. But thank you for offering," Amy replied.

Monique simply smiled in response. Then, after a brief moment, she rested one hand on the sofa's headrest. "By the way, I rode the elevator with Joshua's twin brother earlier," Monique informed Amy.

"Oh, really?" Amy responded.

Monique nodded. "I think he lives here too," she added.

Amy shrugged. "Maybe. Probably on a different floor. I haven't bumped into him here," she said. "So, did you introduce yourself as Joshua's girlfriend?" she inquired a moment later.

Monique shook her head. "No. I want Joshua to introduce me himself," she replied.

"That makes sense. It's better if Joshua does the honors," Amy agreed. "But, in all fairness, Joshua's twin brother is quite the looker," she teased with a playful tone.

Monique raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Amy?"

Amy chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, Monique. They're identical twins, both handsome. But I find Joshua's twin brother a tad hotter," she remarked with a laugh.

"Is it because he looks like a bit of a bad boy?" Monique asked.

"Exactly," Amy replied with a chuckle.

Monique couldn't resist rolling her eyes at her friend's comment. She couldn't quite fathom why her friend seemed to have a penchant for the 'bad boy' look in guys. Jacob did give off that edgy vibe, but Joshua had assured her that his twin brother had a kind heart. Jacob's lack of smiles and his somewhat intimidating aura didn't necessarily mean he was unfriendly.

"Well, you know what they say, don't judge a book by its cover," Monique remarked.

Amy, however, had a different perspective. "Personally, I feel like guys with that kind of appearance and aura can protect you from anyone who wants to harm you," she explained. "When you're with them, you feel safe because others are afraid to mess with you out of fear of your companion," she continued.

Monique nodded, recalling the incident at the bar when a man had disrespected her, and Jacob had come to her defense. Although Jacob didn't resort to violence, his mere presence had been enough to deter the disrespectful man. Amy had a point; she had indeed felt safe with him that night.

"Point taken," Monique conceded.

Amy couldn't help but chuckle. "So, do you have a crush on him?" She teased her friend. "Do you want me to ask Joshua to introduce you?"

"Sure," Amy replied with a laugh. She chuckled along, but her intention was sincere. When she saw Joshua, she planned to ask him to introduce his twin brother to Amy, hoping her friend might find love. Amy was still single, and although many men expressed interest in her, she was quite selective when it came to relationships.

Monique spent nearly an hour at Amy's house before deciding to head home. She didn't want her own Shih Tzu, Cocoa, to go hungry. Cocoa and Cinnamon were siblings, purchased together from a pet shop. The shop owner had claimed that the two Shih Tzus were siblings, so they bought them to allow the two dogs to reunite from time to time.

"I have to go, Amy," she said as she rose to leave.

"Aren't you staying for dinner? I can order some food for delivery," Amy offered.

She shook her head. "No, I'll have dinner at home. Cocoa might be hungry by now," she replied.

"Alright," Amy didn't press the issue. She also got up from the sofa.

"I'll walk you to the door," Amy said, about to stand up as well.

"No need, Amy. You should rest your foot," she replied, stopping her friend from getting up. "I can manage on my own."

"Okay. Thanks, and take care while driving," Amy said.

"I will," she replied. "Goodbye," she bid farewell before stepping out of the door.

As she exited Amy's condo, she headed straight for the elevator. Inside, she pressed the button for the ground floor. While the elevator descended, she silently prayed that the power wouldn't go out again. She didn't want to be trapped alone once more. Fortunately, she had someone with her earlier, which had eased her fear and anxiety.

Soon, the elevator stopped, and as the doors opened, she stepped out.

"Oh," she exclaimed as she saw that it was raining. She paused in her tracks, unable to reach her car because she had left her umbrella behind. She had no idea it would rain; the weather had been quite pleasant earlier.

Monique waited for the rain to ease up, standing in place for several minutes until she noticed the precipitation weakening.

Clutching her sling bag, which hung from her shoulder, she decided to brave the distance to her car, reluctant to return to Amy's condo to borrow an umbrella.

Just as she was about to break into a run, someone unexpectedly seized her arm. A sudden shock seemed to course through her body at the touch, whoever this person was.

She turned her head to the side, her lips parting slightly as her eyes met Jacob's. He was the one who had clasped her arm.

"Why?" she asked.

Rather than providing an answer, he unfurled an umbrella nearby and released his grip on her arm.

"I'll walk you to your car," he stated in his deep baritone voice. She was about to decline when he gently reestablished his hold on her arm just above the elbow and guided her toward her car. "Where's your car?" he inquired.

She pointed in the direction of her parked car, and they made their way toward it.

As they neared, she retrieved the remote control key for her car from her pants pocket. When they reached her car, she unlocked it with the remote control key.

She turned toward him. "Thank you," she expressed her gratitude.

He simply nodded in response. She turned back to open her car door but hadn't anticipated the slippery pavement, causing her to lose her balance.

Her eyes widened, but before she could plummet to the ground, strong arms encircled her waist.

She gazed up, meeting Jacob's eyes, dark and intense. She momentarily found herself captivated by those deep orbs until she regained her balance, distancing herself slightly from him.

"Thanks again," she offered her appreciation.

He remained silent. Instead, he opened the car door for her. "Hop in," he instructed in his resonant voice.

Quickly, she settled into the driver's seat of her car. He shut the door for her, and as she glanced out the window, she observed him walking away from her car.

She briefly watched his retreating figure until she started the car's engine and drove away from the area.