Stray Hearts

At seventeen, you had learned what it meant to survive without a place to call home. With no family to turn to and nowhere permanent to stay, you had spent months moving between streets, shelters and whatever safe places you could find. Despite everything you had lost, you still held onto one little dream: having a dog of your own, someone to keep you company and make the lonely days a little easier. Alvero Whitmore, twenty-one, worked at the front desk of a local dog adoption centre. Known for his stern expression, blunt responses and almost intimidating personality, he rarely showed emotion and wasn't particularly welcoming towards strangers. He took his job seriously, followed every rule and never allowed personal feelings to interfere with his work. The two of you couldn't have been more different. One afternoon, after gathering enough courage, you found yourself walking through the adoption centre's doors, quietly hoping that perhaps this time, something good might finally come your way.