It all started with her smile,
a bit shy and awkward, but it shone with so much innocence and wonder
that I couldn't help but forgive her. Our meeting was a weird
coincidence, her bike had spiraled out of control and I was unlucky
enough to be in her path. My body had frozen, unsure of whether to
jump to the side or scream. The next thing I know, I saw stars fly in
front of my eyes. We had ended up on the floor, a mess of limbs and
groans, her body crushing me against the earth. She recovered first,
freeing us from the tangle of limbs with slow motions. The murmur of
her voice filled my ears, worried but unintelligible, while her hands
took my head into a gentle hold. Her eyes were heavy with guilt, her
brow creasing in worry the longer I went without answering. Seconds
passed before I could make sense of anything she say, her voice was
almost breaking by then, tears threatening to fall from the corners
of her eyes. When I laid my hand over hers, telling her I felt fine,
the dam had broken. Tears flowed freely down her face, soft sobs
shaking her body. She hugged me tightly against her while she
muttered apologies between bouts of sobbing. The whole meeting had
been strange and quick, so much that I could hardly sort my feelings.
But, before such a honest display of emotion, my body decided what to
do before my mind.

My arms wrapped around her
back, softly returning the hug. A soothing purr came to my throat
while my head nuzzled her cheeks, the smell of citrus and lilacs
seeping into my nose. She was confused and in pain, sobbing on my
shoulder and so my body had moved to comfort her. Maybe it had been a
panther instinct, or maybe it had been the crash that had jumbled my
head, but it had worked all the same. Her sobs grew soft and shorter,
until only a sniffling was left as proof of their presence. Her body
resonating with a purr of her own, soft and soothing. Her hug grew
softer and less desperate, instead, it was warm and hopeful.

We parted a few moments later,
her eyes watery and unabashedly vulnerable. She apologized once more
before I could get a word in, promising to make it up to me however
she could and then, she gave me that smile. I couldn't say anything
after that, any words that came to my mind died before it reached my
lips. So, for the rest of our meeting I just nodded to whatever she
said. It didn't matter what it was as long I could hear her voice.
When she asked if I was alright, I just nodded. When she apologized a
few dozen times more, I just nodded. Even when she asked my name, I
just nodded. That had gotten a frown out of her, her hands gripping
mine in a tight hold.

She took me to the nurse's
office afterward and waited for me until I came out a few minutes
later, only to apologize a few dozen times more. I smiled at her and
brushed it off, trying to take some of the burden from her shoulders,
but she would not have any of it. I soon would learn, she could be
very stubborn. That was how our relationship began, a friendship born
from unlikely circumstances, from a single smile that touched my
heartstrings masterfully. That smile was my treasure, one that I was
fortunate enough to enjoy hundreds of time more and one I wanted to
protect with all my heart. I guess that's how this all began, for
her sake.

You see, my dear Pauline had a heart
as big as a mountain. No matter where she went or who she met, she
always seemed to find wonders wherever she went, "her little
gems" she called them. Sometimes it would be something simple,
like finding a few coins on her way back home or seeing a pair of
birds fly from tree to tree; others she would regal me with tales of
the people she had met on the subway or at the park. But above all, there were the times she volunteered. The way her eyes shined as she
helped others, the spring that came to her step when she talked about
it, it was enough to make my heart soar. But, it was a hard work, one
that drained her of most of her energy by the time she came home. It
was a struggle to make sure she ate before she fell asleep on the
couch. Her short black fur dirty and tangled while her clothes bore
the marks of her day as medals.

I loved seeing her happy,
there was no doubt in my mind about that, and I knew I would always
do whatever it took to keep that beautiful smile on her face and to
keep her safe. So, I guess I should have expected ending up like this
sooner rather than later. It was the natural order of things, the way
it was all meant to be. She had told me about her plans for the next
time she went to the shelter and I had jumped in and offered my help.
The look on her face was like a kid at Christmas, her eyes shining so
bright they could have blinded me. The hug that followed still made
me feel warm and I held onto that memory while I made short work of
my tasks. I carried things whenever they told me, not one word of
complain leaving my lips; I watched over the kids and gave guided
tours with but a word from Pauline. I even ran over to help pick up
everything when a sudden rain threatened to ruin the day. And at the
end of the day, when the group leaders were thanking us for our work,
singing praises about our devotion to the cause, I knew the truth, I
didn't care about the people I helped, about all those laughs and
thankful smiles. No amount of hugs, thanks or teary eyes meant a
thing for me. It was all for her and I had no regrets.