You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his dogs.
For many years, I enjoyed living with my dogs, Tilly and Chance. Their 1 was nearly enough to keep my loneliness at bay, Nearly. Last year. I started dating, but with 2. When I first dated Steve, I 3 he had a dog. Molly, and a cat, Flora. While I was 4 that he was an animal lover, I 5 that three dogs were perhaps too many, and my dogs might attack 6 , the cat.
The next week we 7 our dogs together. It was a hot day. When we paused to catch our 8 , Steve got down on one knee. Was he proposing (求婚)? I liked him too. But so 9 ? He poured water from a bottle into his hand and offered it to my dogs. 10 , I began to fall for him.
We 11 to date, though neither of us brought up the future. And then in late November, Tilly had an operation on her 12 . I took the dogs out four times a day, and I worried that Tilly 13 climbing the stairs could reopen the wound. Then Steve 14 his house. All worked 15. The three dogs formed a pack that, with coaching, 16 Flora's space; Steve and I formed a good team 17 for Tilly. We made good housemates.
A year later, much to my 18 this man produced a little box with a ring and proposed to me. He did not kneel (跪) down, nor did I 19 him to. That's only for giving 20 to the dogs that brought us together.
