HE HAS TO PEE

​22-year-old Jessie wakes up in the morning, and as it had become part of her routine, she turns on her computer. After washing up and getting dressed, she returns to her desk and opens her email. One new message in her inbox. She jumps with excitement, feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach. It wasn't every day she got an email from her herself from the future. As she'd been told, an email would only arrive during significant dates so as not to alter her future in a negative way. 

Jessie clicks on the email with fireworks in her stomach. As the page is loading, her mind is going wild. What could this email possibly be about? Her brother and his friends are coming over later to watch the basketball game. Could this be the score?   

The message opens.

Dear 22-year-old Jessie,

All I can say is... hurry up, he has to pee.

Sincerely, 
Jessie


Jessie stares at the computer screen, confused being an understatement. He has to pee? How was that significant? She reads the message over and over again, checking to see if there was anything she might've missed. At this, her dog whines at her feet and she looks down.

Really? The bladder of Yorkie is worth an email from the future?

Yorkie whines again and Jessie lets out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, let's go. But you better do all you need to do, now. I'm not walking you during the game."

She reaches for the leash and his tail starts to wag out of control. If dogs could smile, that's exactly what he would be doing at that moment. He loves going for walks. He has all of his favorite spots already marked from years of living in that neighborhood.

Outside, he starts with the very first bush just outside the front door, which Jessie tries to pull him away from. She hated the smell of pee so close to her front door. Yorkie skips over to his next spot, and the next, and the next. They walk around the whole neighborhood and nothing unusual happens. Except, Yorkie is not ready to go home. He keeps sniffling the neighbor's yard. Jessie looks down at her watch and realizes the game has already started. 

By the time she returns home, her brother and his friends are already hogging the couch, as well as the pizza boxes. Jessie texts her boyfriend to make sure he's on his way. It's bad enough she's outnumbered, but at least with him by her side, she won't be outnumbered alone.

He walks in just as Jessie's team takes the lead and she jumps up from the couch, both in celebration and to greet him. The boys grumble their momentary defeat as they sip on their beers. "Lucky shot," they say.

Jessie laughs at her temporary triumph and pulls her boyfriend to sit with her on the other couch. "Jessie, I can't stay long. I have a meeting to go to."

"What? But it's Saturday and you just got here."

"I'll come back as soon as I'm done." He smiles, knowing she could never resist those dimples. "We'll have dinner together. I promise."

Jessie smiles, trying not to show that her heart had just sunk. Even though Jessie's team is  winning, she doesn't feel like a winner. Her boyfriend having to leave sapped all joy of the day for her. She hadn't seen him for three days, and now he's leaving?

Though she tries hard not to show her change of mood, her boyfriend knows her too well. He gives her hand a squeeze and leans into her ear. "I love you," he whispers.

Jessie gives him a peck on the lips. "I love you, too." 

They continue watching for another thirty minutes as Jessie's team stays in the lead, but then Yorkie jumps on Jessie's lap and whines.

"Seriously?" She scowls at Yorkie for choosing the worst time ever. But then she remembers the email and curiosity takes over. She looks at her boyfriend. "I have to take him out."

"That's fine," he glanced at his watch. "I should be heading out, anyway. Walk me to my car?"

"Sure."

They walk out together and after giving him another peck on the lips, she watches him drive off. Once he disappears from view, she looks down at Yorkie. "Do you still have to pee?"

Yorkie sticks his tongue out the side of his mouth.

"What does that even mean?" she mumbles, pulling him along to his favorite spots. On her way back to the house, she hears the boys cheer inside and glances down at Yorkie. "I can't believe I'm missing the game for you to pee. Whatever this is, it better be good." 

While back at the house, Jessie slouches on the couch and scarfs down another slice of pizza. Her team takes the lead again and she cheers, giving her brother and his friend a smug look. Suddenly, her phone buzzes and she pulls it out. It was a message from her boyfriend. 

Hi babe. I left a note on the couch for you. See you later. Love you. :*

​​A note? Jessie perks up and starts searching the couch. He's always been so thoughtful; last week she opened her wallet at the store and found a sticky note that said "Right now, I'm thinking about you."

She squeals when she finds the note in between the cushions.

"My Love. I know we haven't spent much time together lately and I'm sorry. I'm also sorry that I had to leave today. I was really looking forward to spending the day with you. Which is why I thought of something that might help time go by faster. I prepared a scavenger hunt for you. Hopefully by the time you're done, I'll be finished with the meeting and on my way to see you. So, the first clue is: My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

Jessie laughs out loud as she jumps from the sofa and hurries to her father's office. That's where they'd watched Princess Bride together for the first time. She had never watched it until her boyfriend suggested it one night. Now, it was one of her favorite movies.

Jessie looks around and notices an envelope sticking out from under the tube TV. She pulls it out and it's another letter. She takes it to the sofa and lays down to read it. Yorkie jumps on her belly and barks his squeaky bark. 

"Arg, again?" Jessie grumbles. "Well, you're just gonna have to wait until I finish reading this." She lays back, tucking Yorkie in under her arm, but Yorkie wiggles himself free and jumps down only to stare up at her.

"This will be the last time," she warns him. "You hear me? Last time."

He barks and spins in a circle over and over again.

"Where are you going?" Jessie's Mom asks from the kitchen. 

"To walk Yorkie."

"Didn't you already walk him?" she asks. "Would you like me to do it?"

Jessie grumbles. She would like nothing more but according to the email, she had to be the one to do it. "It's okay, Mom. I'll be right back."

After walking Yorkie to the end of the street, she returns home feeling very frustrated. Why didn't the email just specify how many times she was supposed to walk him? Whatever. She's done walking him for now. She hurries back to the office, jumps on the sofa, and resumes reading the love note.

It was so heartfelt, she read it over and over again. By the end of the letter, there was another clue leading to the next note. She jumps up from the sofa, excited about her own personal scavenger hunt. She runs to her car and finds a CD on the front seat which says, Play Me.

She inserts the CD into her cd-player and sits back, enjoying the soft instrumental song. It was so beautiful she replayed it three times. By the end of the song, a recording of her boyfriend's voice comes on telling her that the next clue is where they had their first kiss.

Jessie runs to the back of the house and notices an envelope on the hammock. That's where they had their first kiss while watching the moon rise. She rips it open and starts to read, "I love you and..."

Confused, she looks around. Her boyfriend jumps out of the bushes--scaring her half to death--and falls to his knees.

​"Will you marry me?" he asks, forcing a smile. "Please, say yes."

Jessie stares down at him in shock. Her heart almost beating out of her chest.

"Jess?" His hands were shaking. "Say something."

"Yes!" She snaps out of it. "Yes, of course!"

"Great! Here..." He hands her the ring then jumps back to his feet. "Be right back!" He takes off running into the house, leaving Jessie confused all over again. Her parents walk out with Yorkie at their feet.

"What was that?" Jessie asks them.
​
"The poor guy has been needing to pee for the last hour," her father says. "What took you so long? And why in the world did you walk that dog so many times?"