Big Changes for Bella and Meredith

I'm going to pick up from where the story left off last week.

When I came back home, Juliet told me about the situation with her allergies. 

"I thought you said you weren't allergic to dogs!" I said.

"I know, but I can't always predict how I'll react to certain dogs. Ask anyone with a pet allergy. I don't know what it is about Bella, but when I'm around her I get the worst headaches, and I sneeze nonstop."

I knew how hard it was for Juliet to tell me this, so I tried to be understanding, but it wasn't easy. I love Bella so much, but I also didn't want Juliet to be constantly sick.

"I'm sorry for putting you in this position," she said. "It's a terrible choice to make. When you make your decision, will you let me know?"

"Of course," I said. 

After some thought, I decided that the best thing to do would be to put Bella up for adoption. Fortunately, a nearby family adopted her, and they seem very nice. They said that they understood the situation completely and that I could visit her any time. Bella seems very happy in her new home, but I couldn't help feeling so empty inside as I made the arrangements.

Fast forward to this week. I was in the treehouse, thinking about Bella, when Violet came by.

"Meredith, are you holding up okay?"

"Violet, I had to put my beloved dog up for adoption. Do you think I'm okay?"

Violet hugged me. "You did the right thing, but I can't stand to see you looking so depressed. I think you need a change of scenery. I'm planning to go shopping, want to come with me?"

"Sure, I guess." I wasn't in the mood for shopping, or doing anything for that matter, but going out sure beat staying at home and doing nothing.

When we came back an hour later, everyone was in the back yard.

"Violet, you're finally back! Meredith, is that you?" asked Quinn, leaning out of the tree house to get a better look.

"It sure is!" said Violet proudly. "What do you think of the new and improved Meredith? All it took was a quick trip to the salon and a new outfit!"

"That was really sweet of you to try and cheer Meredith up, but do you really think a makeover was the best idea?" asked Perrin. "Did you even ask her if that's what she wanted?"

"No, but I actually don't mind the new look. It's a nice distraction," I said. "I kind of like being a blonde, and maybe a big change like this is what it takes to break me out of my rut."

"If you say so," said Perrin doubtfully. 

Of course, just getting a makeover isn't going to magically fix everything, but it gives me something else to think about besides Bella. It's going to take more than just a new hair color to get over that, but I hope that soon I'll feel better about this.