Ana's suggestion that she would meet him at the bistro set a flutter in Cal's chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt like a schoolboy with a crush, painfully vulnerable, filled with anticipation and nerves, yet the stakes felt even higher. His usual smooth demeanor faltered a bit as he struggled to maintain his composure. "Sure," he managed to reply, his voice a mask of cool detachment, "I've got some paperwork to fill out. I'll be seeing you very soon." He chided himself internally for how anxious he felt, a sensation both alien and slightly vexing given his track record with women.

With a final glance cast to Ana, as if cementing her image in his mind for the final time before she vanished into thin air, he finally followed the manager to a table near the front desk, watching her disappear briefly into an office before emerging with the necessary paperwork. Cal filled out the forms with a haste that betrayed his eagerness, his normally neat penmanship turning sloppy. When prompted for his address, he hesitated. His life, divided among various locales, hardly lent itself to the simplicity of a primary residence -- his time was divided between his private hotel suite, an apartment uptown, a cabin in the mountains, and a house outside the city, in Orange County. Ultimately, he opted for the apartment, scribbling it down along with the rest of his information.

Handing the completed forms back to the manager, she beamed. "Just another moment and I'll go retrieve your new family member. Congratulations, Mr. Crawford!"

When Stella was brought to him, newly adorned with a little bow that was both adorable and slightly impractical, Cal's heart swelled. He made a mental note to remove the bow later when they were out of sight, to spare Stella any discomfort. She made a beeline for him, greeting him with enthusiastic licks to the face, her whole body wiggling with each wag of her tail. He paid the adoption fee and stepped outside with his new companion.

"We've got quite the day ahead of us, Stella," he spoke to her, smiling as he watched her sniff around a patch of grass in search of a suitable place to go to the bathroom. "You're my good luck charm; you led me right back to Ana. You're already making my life better, and I haven't even gotten you home yet." Stella's happy grunting noises in response lifted Cal's spirits further.

As they walked the block so she could stretch her legs, Cal kept an eye on the humane society's entrance, determined not to miss Ana's departure. The French bistro he had mentioned was just around the corner and he was adamant that he wouldn't be stood up this time. Today felt like a turning point, with everything aligning in ways he couldn't have anticipated when he'd woken up this morning. With Stella by his side and the possibility of getting to speak more than three words to Ana, Cal couldn't help but feel like perhaps his chaotic life was taking a turn for the better.