We had a 9:30am appointment with our vet yesterday for the last of Bella’s injections to help with her arthritis. We arrived on time and it was super busy. So busy that our favourite vet nurse didn’t rush straight out to give Beary extra special loves and give them both a treat.

There were people dropping off cats; picking up cats; but no cats in the cat castle. This is a good thing because it means the cute cat who was in residence the week before had since been adopted. There were a couple of old dogs and a very young puppy.

There were a couple of guys waiting to collect their old dog who’d had an operation and was now apparently missing most of his teeth.

And there was a woman who looked like she had been crying for a month.

It’s easy to get frustrated when you have an appointment somewhere but they are running late. People look at their watch, the clock or their phone with increasing frequency. You will often hear people muttering but I had an appointment as the moments tick by.

The one place I am never, ever upset if I have to wait is the vet. It is a rare day {and we are there a lot!} that we are ever kept waiting more than a couple of minutes. Yesterday morning we waited half an hour. Almost as long as the lady who looked like she would rather be anywhere else. As she finally spoke to the nurse, the two guys who were picking up their old dog and I were the closest people to her.

Reaching for the money in her purse she asked quietly about the difference in cost for a private cremation. Her voice caught. As did my breath and that of the two guys standing near her. I wanted to hug her. That would probably have made matters worse for her, so instead I held Bella and Beary close. Not before the guys beside her and I locked eyes then they squeezed each other’s arms.

No-one cared about waiting.

Because we were the lucky ones that day. No matter how many teeth are missing, or how tricky getting up after a long rest now that it is cold becomes, we could take our precious pals home.