With Millie it was complicated. I loved her the day she was born. We had a special eye on her from that early. I've always loved Millie, both my mom and I consider her my dog, but in the early days they bonded a lot. My mom had cancer and didn't want me to see the worst of the treatment, so often I was gone for a long time. It wasn't until a year later when the cancer was finally gone, and Millie started looking after me especially. She became mine, and I became hers. She's been by my side since. I can't sleep without being able to reach her.
With Fable, the first time I ever saw her was part 1. She was put out in the kennels, but she wasn't available for adoption that day. None of the kennel workers were even allowed to touch her or her brother. The volunteer kept showing me other puppies, but I was hesitant to even walk a few yards from Fable's kennel. I felt so strongly about her. I met other dogs and lots of other puppies (there were a ton of litters from a hoarding situation), who all would probably have fit in well with me. But I was dead set on Fable regardless of the lack of interaction. The next day I showed up half an hour early to get MY puppy and to make sure nobody else did. Meeting her was part 2. She enchanted me, I just adored her, and I knew I made the right choice. The final part that sealed the deal was when I brought her home later that day, when I was reading with her sleeping next to me on my bed. I fell asleep, then woke partway up to find she had snuggled closer and put her head on my shoulder. I pulled her even closer and went back to sleep. In that moment between consciousness and sleep I knew she was my girl, no question.
