>>48747929>After some unsuccessful fiddling, she asked you to bring up the timer.>She wanted to watch it count down.>You obliged, and she watched the last few minutes count down on the screen with razor-sharp attention.>The timing was perfect.>Just as you finished setting the table, your phone vibrated and buzzed.>Zoroark leapt up and turned the phone around to show you, as if her giddiness wasn’t enough of a tell.>You again shooed her away from the hot oven and pulled the ribs out.“The recipe says to let the meat settle.” You pointed out.
>You grabbed a pair of tongs.“But I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”
>The girl could barely contain herself.>The moment you placed the steaming ribs on her plate she yipped and scurried off with it to the dining table.“Wait for me!” You called after her.
>Last thing you needed was her choking on a bone.>A real possibility, given her current enthusiasm. >You were so taken aback when you entered the dining room, you stopped at the entrance.
>Zoroark had a ten second head start on you and nothing was in her mouth.>She was playing with her food.>Spearing it.>Turning it.>Lifting it.>Ready and waiting to go.>Expecting her to wait to say grace, however, was too much.>The moment you sat down, she tore into the first set of ribs.>It was a massacre.>Sauce stained her gray fur, dotted her cheeks, and darkened her lips.>She licked the edges of her mouth, only to put more of the tasty condiment there with the next chomp.>The meat fell off the bone.>Neither of you talked. You had no need to.>Were company here, she’d be eating like a human.>Dignified and quiet.>But not now.>With no need for disguises, she let her voracious appetite take charge.>Her noisy swallows and open-mouthed munching were a wordless, hearty thanks to you.>You took your time eating the meat.>Zoroark devoured the meat quickly, but kept pace with you by slowing down to gnaw the bones.>Her tongue snaked across each rib. 