Something quite unexpected—remarkable, honestly—occurred while we were at the veterinarian office with Neko, yesterday. While he was in the back to have his wound cleaned, I sat in the waiting room vocabulary practicing in the How to Study Korean app. Someone at the front desk spoke to somebody on the phone about a dog. The animal didn’t have a microchip and would need to be picked up.
I mentally added context (correctly): Somebody dropped off the animal, hoping to locate its owner, which wasn’t possible without the microchip. The office couldn’t keep the dog. The rescuer would need to retrieve the lost pet, whose next destination likely would be the San Diego animal shelter.
About 10 minutes later, with Neko treated and returned to me, I stood by the counter ready to pay (gulp) $350 for services rendered. The main entrance door opened to my left, and one of our really, really good friends walked in. We looked at each other, stunned, and then we jabbered greetings and hugged. The technician discharging Neko asked if we knew one another. You think?
I asked her permission to use the Featured Image but not her name. So, to protect privacy, let’s call her Brenna. Turns out that she had dropped off the dog, which she found running lose nearby Communal Coffee, which is at the corner of University and Texas in North Park. Brenna presumed microchip and brought the animal to the nearest vet’s office so that the owners could be contacted to retrieve the pet. Brenna loves animals, and she wanted to do right for the dog and its owners. She and I left almost simultaneously—she for the Gaines Street shelter and me to home.
Brenna is a few years older than Molly, and Annie and I like to think of her as a daughter, too. Brenna spent a chunk of her childhood in the Czech Republic, which gives her a nuanced perspective as an American. Refreshing is better modifier. Annie and I love her.
We hadn’t seen Brenna for weeks. She started a new job, and commute hours are exhausting. Additionally, she now lives about 40 km (25 miles) North from us. For her to be in my neighborhood and at the vet for unexpected purpose must mean something. I don’t believe in coincidence.
Photo vitals: f/1.4, ISO 100, 1/120 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 10:53 a.m. PDT; Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.