Chapter Text
Javier, a Blue Heeler Anthro in his middle 60s, was all alone right now. His Beagle Anthro wife went out to meet some friends. As he was munching on a pancake, he thought about all the things he could do today. A walk in the park? Meeting his friends? Nope. He's not in the right mood to even step out of the house. "It's going to be a long day…"
As he stepped on the carpet, he noticed the odd texture. It's starting to collect dust. There's even the occasional crumbs of food. He raked his foot on the surface to confirm. "Huh. When's the last time we vacuumed here?"
After washing the dishes, he grabbed a vacuum cleaner from the storeroom, turned it on and vacuumed the floor and carpets in the living room. He made sure to reach every corner, moving the furniture aside if needed. For assurance, the carpet was raked several times.
Javier stopped. The heat from the machine baked the textile a little. He can actually feel it on his legs, and his body. "Wow!"
The elderly dog walked all over to find any stray debris. There's none. Satisfied, he folded the machine and stored it in the storeroom. Now he pondered what task to do next.
The bathroom
At the bathroom, he carefully inspected every corner, looking for signs of grime. The white porcelain floor was dull. There are specks of mold in the shower. "Oh goodness. This will be a lot…"
He grabbed a bathroom cleaner and a long handled brush. Pouring the cleaner on the floor, he waited a few minutes, careful not to step on the acidic liquid. He then brushes the floor vigorously. The yellow stain came off revealing the bright surface underneath. His arms were starting to strain from the strenuous brushing, but he didn't want to stop until every tile had been scrubbed.
Leaning against the wall panting, he observed the room. The tiles looked vibrant, if not for the loose stains from the cleaning action. The dog proceeds to stare at it for a while in stunned silence. "Shit, it really was this dirty! Now I can't look at bathrooms the same way again..."
Rinsing the floor, he glanced at the shower. The work will be much easier but he knew he can't go overboard, lest the glass partition get scratched. Over the next few minutes, Javier carefully brushed the filthy growth in the shower cubicle. Satisfied at his handiwork, he went down to the kitchen to drink a glass of water.
"Gosh, I need that." He finished drinking the entire glass in one sip. As he placed it on the counter, he turned his head at the glass doors overlooking the lawn. The grass wasn't that long but it started to show how untidy it was. "Sigh, a little trim wouldn't hurt, right?"
At the lawn...
"Come on, why wouldn't you start!?" He flicked the switch of the mower. He was frustrated at the machine that doesn't run. With a sigh, he decided to take the power cell off. It was a lot lighter than usual. "I swear these power cell are not as light as-"
He then realized the problem. The cells ran out of charge. He didn't even remember when the last time the electric mower was used until the power cell was completely exhausted. "Ah... you're kidding me...?" Javier begrudgingly shuffled to the tool shed, hoping to find a spare cell.
The small hut was merely big polymer panels assembled together into the shape of a big box, with the roof sloped left. It only has a single window at the door and no light and ventilation inside. So it gets hot during the summer.
After getting inside, he rummaged the shelves to find what he wanted. He then spotted a yellow cylindrical object poking out from a container. "Got you! Hopefully, it's charged..." The Blue Heeler was relieved when the power cell felt heavier than the other one. "Ok, I don't want you to disappoint me, man." He talked to the inanimate object in his paws. He feels a bit silly about it.
Placing the new cell into the machine, he flicked the main switch. Then, the power knob on the handle. After an audible hum, the mower's cutting blades started spinning, ready for leaf-slicing action. The canine was beyond excited, evident by his rapid wagging tail.
"YEAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Javier shouted as loud as his lungs could allow, making wild, erratic punching moves while cackling madly, like a teenager who just scored the biggest win in his life.
He then froze like a statue. His grey-bluish face started to burn from the blood rush. Darting his eyes around looking for witnesses of his nonsensical outburst of joy. Valerie, his Greyhound neighbor, just happened to come home at the unfortunate moment, standing motionless at her front door while her violet eyes drilled at him.
"Uh...hello?" The Heeler raised his paw, putting on a goofy smile. Before he could greet her though, she clumsily took out her keys, unlocked the door, and dashed inside. Without a single word. "Hey, Val! If you need company during your evening jogs, just ask!"
Val opened a window facing the lawn, with a flustered snarl yelling "Son of a bitch! You're embarrassing!" before closing it with such force it would have cracked. Javier laughed it off while shaking his head. She is known for being haughty and strict. He can recall many times where the Greyhound blew her gasket in public due to a slight mistake or slip of tongue. It was hilarious.
Getting over the initial outburst, he proceeded to mow the lawn, slow and steady. The area wasn’t that big, but it still took a considerable amount of time to trim the whole place. By the time he was done, the Heeler was beyond tired and about to collapse.
Later at 7 in the evening…
"Honey, I'm ho-" The Beagle opened the door only to be greeted by darkness and silence. Normally the lights are on at this time of the day. A twinge of fear surfaced in her mind. Glancing around, she carefully tiptoed around the living room reaching for the light switch. "Why are the lights off? I thought you hated the dark." The complete darkness didn't help. She might trip or hit something. After her paws felt a familiar object, she was relieved.
"Err...Javier? Sweetie?" The moment Stella flicked the switch, she was greeted by a surprising sight. Her Blue Heeler husband was lying down on the couch, maw wide open, snoring loudly. His trousers were coated with dirt and grass. His torso however, was exposed. Despite his old age, he still has some muscle definition, the result of his laborious work as a mechanic and his consistent exercise routine. The Beagle can't help but blush a little.
"Aww, look at this tired old man." She quietly sat down on a single seat couch next to him before gently stroking his head. She reminisced of their grown-up children, Alex and Annie. Both already have their own families and are probably busy now. She is especially fond of Annie, as she and her father shared their breed. She's such a sweet, caring girl in their eyes. The melancholic train of thought made her tear up, finally letting her emotions loose. Not realizing the noise stirred her husband a little.
"Huh...what?" The Blue Heeler slowly sat upright and turned his head to the source. Stella tried to stifle her sobbing. Javier knew it right away. "Babe, what's wrong?" Javier asked with worry. She sniffed a few times to calm herself down. "Nothing. Just a past memory." Stella then looked around the living room, realizing something was a bit different. She stood up straight.
"Wait a sec, did you-" She darted her head quickly, trying to look at the difference of the environment. The male was a bit surprised at her sudden change in emotion but shrugged it off. "Well, yeah. I had nothing to do today, and-" She jabbed his arm playfully. "Seriously? You cleaned the house!? All by yourself?!"
"Yes. Now you're being dramatic. I never thought it would exhaust me this much, holy crud!" He raised his arms in frustration. "Vacuumed the carpets, scrubbed the bathroom, cleaned the kitchen, trimmed the lawn..." He counted all the tasks with his fingers. His wife can't help but smile. Javier is very work-driven, everyone knows that. Not even his age would stop him.
"Look at that. My hubby has done a really great job." She brushed her paws under his chin seductively. The Heeler started to blush furiously. He opened his muzzle to say something, but without warning, Stella kissed him, full on the lips. Javier was stunned for a second. After a brief moment, he reciprocated her affection. "Alright, there's only so much sugar I can handle in one day~" That comment made the old Beagle wag her tail in joy.
"Heehee, and that's why I love you~"
*vrrrrr*
Both jolted from the sudden noise. It was Javier's phone. Someone was calling.
"Huh. I wonder who..." He picked it up and tapped the answer button. Lifting it to his ears, he heard a brief digital tone. "Hello?"
"Hello Dad! I'm sorry that I was busy for the past few months, but we decided to visit you this weekend! Can we?" His eyes went wide. He thought he's not going to hear that voice for some time. He turned to his wife, staring in confusion. "It's her...".
She gasped, her eyes getting glassy. "I want to talk to her." She demanded. He gave her the phone. "Annie? Is that you?"
"Mom! It really was you! I missed you so much!" The younger Blue Heeler was starting to tear up. Her wavering voice can be heard. Javier just nodded in silence. The women of his family were a melancholic bunch. He knew it.
"Oh, my little sweetheart!" The Beagle started to cry. She was elated to hear her daughter's voice. She didn't realize she was tearing up and sniffling again. "Mom? Are you okay?" Annie asked with worry. Javier can't help but chuckle at her. His wife can get emotional sometimes but he knew she deeply cared for their family.
The elder Beagle wiped her tears. "Sorry, sorry! The household felt a bit lonely lately..." She tried to stabilize herself. Javier reassured her everything will be fine. They can hear their daughter chuckling behind the speaker, along with other, younger voices, likely her kids playing.
"You know, me and Alex will fix that! He agreed to come too! Not gonna lie, I was excited! We haven't done this union in a year. So yeah, it's really a big deal!" The elderly couple were shocked. Alex is a Beagle, like his mother. Being a pilot, he was much busier than his sister, housewife and baker. Nonetheless, both are content with their lives. What they had in common is their unbreakable bond with their parents.
"Really?!" Both said in unison. A family visit was long awaited for them. They truly can't believe it. "Yeah! For the weekend!" Both old dogs looked at each other, a huge grin plastered on their muzzles. Javier hung up the call while Stella was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Weekend family reunion!" The duo jumped high into the air before dancing like a happy couple they are. Their next-door neighbor may think they're crazy if they looked at the windows. But it's what they are. Javier and Stella are very lovely folks.
The weekend is certainly going to be a doozy!