Beca double-checked everything before FaceTiming Chloe who was across the street at the clinic. She hated bothering her girlfriend at work since the clinic had been working on a modified schedule since the city had gone in lockdown mode with stay-at-home orders. Veterinary offices were considered essential places of businesses, but pet owners were not allowed inside the clinic. When they arrived for an appointment, the owner would call, and a technician would come to retrieve the pet and discuss the concern with the owner. If needed, Dr. Beale would connect with the owner via video during the exam. The process was exhausting, but only exposing one employee to the public was better than exposing the entire clinic.

"Hi, baby," Chloe chirped. "Are you ready to go?" Beca nodded. "Gloves?"

Beca held up the pairs of disposable gloves Chloe had given her. "Check."

"Mask?"

The brunette lifted the medical mask that was hanging around her neck. "Check. And extras, too." She grinned at her girlfriend, being extra protective of her.

"Guinea pigs?" Chloe smirked since she knew Beca didn't go anywhere without Major, and now, he and Bea were a package deal.

"Not today, Chlo. I think they need to stay at home. I'm not sure who all will be at the community center, and if there aren't any kids to entertain the pigs, then I'll be worried about them. Plus my vet can't tell me if he's safe against the virus." She winked at the redhead.

They talked a bit more before Beca begged off the conversation since she had to get to the meat market, and Chloe needed to get back to work. "Love you, babe. Be safe."

"You, too."

Beca pulled her car around the back of the Jewish market that served the community in which she lived. She then walked around to the front entrance. "Shalom, Ephraim." She greeted the shop owner. "I've come to pick up the briskets for the center's holiday celebration." Several weeks ago, she'd ordered the meat from Ephraim. She knew obtaining that volume of beef might be difficult during COVID-19, but she also knew that Ephraim knew the importance of the celebration held for their Jewish community.

Usually, there would be a massive party at the Jewish community center; however, because of the pandemic, large gatherings of people were restricted. Instead, a limited number of people would prepare traditional foods. And instead of eating at the center, the women would package the food for no-contact delivery to members of the community. The focus would be on people who'd been impacted most by the shutdowns – families where one or both of the parents lost their jobs, elderly who feared to get out of their homes, and even single people who were jobless.

With Ephraim's help, Beca loaded up half a dozen briskets. "That's what? Seventy pounds of meat?"

"Something like that," Ephraim responded as he loaded the last slab of meat into Beca's trunk. "Bring me a plate?"

"Of course! Thanks for the help." Beca pulled her gloves off and deposited them in the trash and pulled her mask down to get a deep breath of fresh air then headed to the Jewish community center.

Because the women were making food in bulk to be delivered, they decided to bypass the traditional Jewish methods of cooking brisket. Beca promised the women she would deliver moist and tender slabs of meat without using a traditional Jewish recipe. She found a recipe online for a marinade that used cola and packaged onion dip mix. Beca felt guilty stepping away from tradition, but they could not depend on families bringing the large amounts of meat needed for their project. She did cut one of the briskets in half for the women to use the next day to prepare enough broth and cooked vegetables that the meat to make a reasonable semblance of a traditional brisket. Once she set the meat to marinating, she locked up the center and headed back to her apartment.

The next day, Beca headed back to the community center bright and early. Three barbeque grills were behind the center were used when they had cookouts. Turkey dogs, chicken, and burgers were popular, especially with the kids. Beca felt strange being out in the back, alone, with no other help and without children clamoring for a burger. She started coals in all the pits went to wrap the briskets in foil. Once the coals died down, Beca lugged the meat out and put them on the grills. Two women had begun to use the half brisket she'd left them to try to fashion the traditional carrots and onions gravy.

All the women were diligent in wearing masks since they were preparing food. Everyone seemed relieved to be out of their houses and doing work for their community again. Topics of conversation ranged from anywhere from the monotony of never-ending homelife to how people were keeping themselves sane, especially having to adjust to homeschooling their kids without any educational background. Usually, families would bring food to the Fourth of July celebration, much like a potluck. But this year was different. People wouldn't be coming to the center, but the center would be going to the people.

As each dish was made and packaged into small, air-tight containers, it was placed into one of several waiting cardboard boxes. When Beca brought the cooked briskets inside, the women huddled around as she unwrapped the foil to reveal not only a moist but also a tender chunk of meat. She divided up some meat into bowls and ladled some of the carrot and onion gravy over it. The ladies would never admit that it was as good as a traditional Jewish brisket because it wasn't, but they did agree that it served as a pretty good replacement for the situation.

All the sides had been made and distributed to the boxes. The group began to cut the meat into chunks, depending on how many family members were in the household. The brisket was foil-wrapped and put into the boxes. Another group of people arrived to help deliver food to needy families. While Beca wasn't destitute, she procured a box for herself with the understanding some would be going to the Jewish grocer on whom the entire community depended on for their Kosher needs.

By the time Beca made it home, she was exhausted. Not surprisingly, Chloe wasn't back yet. Beca put the box of food on the kitchen island and flopped down on the couch. No sooner did she get comfortable, she heard a ruckus from the guinea pig cages. Major wasn't used to being left alone all day, and Beca had done so two days in a row. Moreover, he had done a great job of teaching Bea how to express her displeasure as well – loudly. Beca knew there would be no relief from the squeaks and clicks unless she gave the pigs some TLC.

"You guys better be glad you're cute," Beca chuckled as she tossed treats for both of them into their cage. This was not what Major wanted as he stood on his hind legs jumping up and down squealing. True to her pig nature, Bea snatched the extra treat and raced to the corner of the cage before her brother knew she stole it. Beca knew the female pig would be satisfied with the double dose of treats and scooped her boy out of his cage. She held him in the crook of her arm as she made her way to the refrigerator to get a beer before settling back on the couch.

And this is how Chloe found them – chilling on the couch, Beca snoring away with an empty beer bottle beside her, and a happy guinea pig snuggled in her lap. The vet checked on the other pig, scratching her on the head before putting the boxed food into the refrigerator so it wouldn't ruin. The next day was the Fourth of July, and, while Chloe would be on call for emergencies, the clinic was closed. Because of the stay at home orders, nobody was on summer vacation; thus, she had no pets to board.

The shelter where Chloe volunteered was a different story, on the other hand. Potential adopters had limited access to the shelter, yet intake was still increasing. Knowing that the July Fourth holiday was the top day for lost and runaway pets due to idiots setting off fireworks in the city, the shelter feared quickly being overrun with animals who had gotten scared and gotten loose from their yards.

Because the Beale Animal Clinic had no boarders, the kennels there stood empty, unused. Chloe worked out a deal with the shelter director to temporarily take in the dogs who had been in the shelter the longest to free up space for new strays that would inevitably come in on the Fourth. Then families would only have one place in the area to check for their recently lost pets. Chloe volunteered Beca and Stacie to walk and care for the dogs she took in until the shelter got back down to a manageable number.

Stacie's grooming business had dropped to nil since grooming wasn't considered an essential service. Chloe had hired Stacie to be an extra set of hands around the clinic, often assigning her to retrieve and deliver pets from and to owner vehicles. She also helped with cleaning and sanitizing the exam room between patients.

The state's governor had eased stay at home orders which allowed the mayor to do the same in the city. Restaurants with outdoor seating could open as long as tables were positioned at least six feet apart, servers wore masks, and patrons wore masks except while eating. Beca made early reservations at one of Chloe's favorite places to not only celebrate the holiday but also to have some relief from take-out, delivery, and home-cooking.

While Beca had seen Stacie occasionally since she worked across the street, they hadn't socialized a lot since the pandemic started. When Beca opened the door to let her in, she busted out laughing. Stacie's shirt sported a picture of a firecracker said Just Here to Bang. "Good one, Stace." Beca had chosen one which said Fireworks Director - If I Run, You Run. Stacie got a kick out of that, too.

The taller brunette made a beeline to the guinea pig cage and the two shirts waiting to be donned by the hogs. Bea's simply had a picture of a lit Roman candle. Major's shirt had an arrow pointing to the right and said She's My Firecracker. "Ahhhh, isn't that sweet?"

Beca chuckled. "I wanted to get a matching set for Chloe and me but she axed the idea."

About that time, the redhead came out of the bedroom. She had on a simple shirt with a peace symbol, a heart, and a flag. It said Peace, Love, America. "They are corner. Plus, I like this one."

Beca had the wagon packed and ready for the guinea pigs with bedding, food, and water dishes, and plenty of snacks. The excitement was exuding from Major since it'd been over three months since he'd been in his wagon. Beca occasionally took the guinea pigs out on her daily walks. But since she didn't know how the virus might impact them, she opted to leave them at home more often than not. Then to be funny, she stuffed two tiny masks in her pocket to put on the pigs when they got closer to the restaurant. She knew it wasn't required, but she thought having the guinea pigs showing up with masks would be hilarious.

The trio of women raved on how good the food was – a lot because it was Chloe's favorite place but probably more so because none of them had eaten at a sit-down restaurant since March. Regrettably, the women and pigs soon had to take leave to get to the shelter to transfer the dogs Chloe was temporarily shifting from the shelter to her clinic. A shelter worker volunteered to take care of Major and Bea while Chloe, Beca, and Stacie walked the dogs to her clinic a few blocks away. The best part about this was that this was a bonus walk for the dogs as they would get yet another walk before dusk and the fireworks.

After a few trips, Chloe's kennels were full, and all the dogs had been watered. Beca went across the street to her apartment and reboxed up the food she'd brought from the Jewish community center the day before. Stacie's eyes lit up when she saw what all Beca had. "Score! Oh, this rocks, Bec. I thought I was going to miss this food because of this stupid pandemic."

Beca told her that she'd spent the last two days at the center making boxes of traditional food to distribute to people who had lost their jobs or who were afraid to get out. All of us who cooked took home some of the food, too." The trio was still stuffed from lunch but knew the food would be perfect for snacking on when they got hungry later.

The temporary clinic residents were each taken on one last walk before people in the area began to shoot off fireworks. While the city had an ordinance banning fireworks in the city limits, police had a difficult time enforcing the law. As dark fell, the fireworks began. Chloe pulled out some tight-fitting dog t-shirts for the more nervous pooches. She also spritzed some lavender oil in the air and turned on some calming music. The three women took turns taking some of the dogs from their kennels and trying to distract them with toys or a game of tug of war.

At one point, the fireworks seemed to get extremely loud or very close or both. Stacie was carefully watching her friend, who appeared to be getting increasingly agitated. Since some dogs were running loose in the kennel, Stacie scooped Major out of his cage and led Beca to one of the treatment rooms. She guided her friend to sit on the floor and put her emotional support pig in her lap. "Hang out here with Major for a while, bud. He told me he was getting lonely." Beca buried her face into his fur.

Chloe hadn't noticed the other two women leave the kennel room but quickly realized they were gone. When Stacie returned and told her Beca just needed a little Major time, Chloe respected that. Eventually, she went into the treatment room and found Beca climbing to her feet, guinea pig in hand. "Sorry I disappeared on you, Chlo. I… I just needed a break. Where do these idiots even get fireworks in the city?"

"I'm not sure, Becs. Are you okay?"

Beca buried her face in Major's fur. "Yeah. He always pulls me through the rough spots."

When they returned to the kennel room, the fireworks seemed to be waning some. Stacie put all the dogs up and was unboxing Beca's food. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry." She heated the containers of food that needed it then divvied up everything between the plates. "Gawd," she said through a full mouth. "Since I wasn't born Jewish, I'm glad my best friend was."

By the time they had finished eating, the fireworks had completely died down. Chloe explained she'd be responsible for the dogs until enough room was freed up to take them back. "Will you help Stacie take care of them, Becs?" Chloe had conveniently failed to mention this bit of information to Beca when she'd told her about housing the shelter dogs. "I can put you on temporary payroll."

"You don't have to pay me," Beca laughed. "It's not like this shit show as kept from working out of my apartment. I'm still drawing a paycheck. But I'll help, no problem."

The next day was Chloe's one day off, so Beca let her sleep in. She and Stacie teamed up and took the dogs for walks to the neighborhood dog park. When they got back with each set of dogs, another tech had cleaned the kennel.

"Hey, Becs, I have an idea!" Stacie told her the plans. She went upstairs to her grooming shop with two of the dogs. She was busy washing one of the dogs when Beca came up with Major, Bea, and some of the more of the patriotic t-shirts the hogs had. Fourth of July might have been the day before, but this was going to be an incredible idea.

Stacie carefully groomed each dog and put a red, white, and blue bandana around its neck. If the dog tolerated one of the guinea pigs, they would pose that dog with a hog for a cute picture. Otherwise, Beca or Stacie would sit with the dog for a photo. Eventually, Stacie carefully groomed each dog temporarily staying at the clinic and posed them for pictures.

Somehow they did all this without Chloe coming across to the clinic to see why Beca wasn't back. Leaving Stacie to return to cleaning up her grooming clinic, her Beca took her phone to the shelter. She dumped all the pictures onto one of their computers, and the volunteer in charge of updating the shelter website got busy updating photos of the babies needing adoption.

Beca didn't think anything more of the pictures she'd dropped off at the shelter. Late in the afternoon the next day, Chloe messaged Beca and asked her to come over to the vet clinic. When she did, she found that both Chloe and Stacie were in Chloe's office. "Ummmm, are we in trouble?" Beca was confused.

Chloe was sitting in her rolling office chair with her arms crossed. Beca couldn't tell if her girlfriend was fighting a smile or a grimace. "Do you ladies have something to tell me?" She looked back and forth between Stacie and Beca.

Both Beca and Stacie shook their heads. "Ummmm, no. Should we?"

"I got a call from the shelter today." Stacie's eyes widened as she looked at Beca. "What did you two do?"

"Nothing, babe, I swear."

"Then explain why all the dogs I have in my kennels have new pictures on the shelter website."

"Oh, that." Stacie was nervous. She thought her boss was angry.

"It seems as though those have generated a lot of interest, especially of the dogs posing with guinea pigs! You posed those dogs with our guinea pigs?"

"Errrr not all of them." Beca was beginning to feel sheepish that their plan had backfired. "Only the dogs who liked the hogs." She motioned between herself and her friend. "We posed with some, too."

"Here's the dilemma. Because of COVID-19 and limits to capacity, there can only be one visitor at the shelter each. AND the dogs that are garnering attention aren't even at the shelter right now. They are here. So how do you propose we solve this little issue to get these dogs their forever homes?"

After a bit of back and forth, Beca and Stacie figured out that potential adopters could fill out an application online. If they received preliminary approval, they could make an appointment to do a meet and greet with the dog. A shelter employee or adoption volunteer would oversee the process at the veterinary clinic. All the people would enter and exit through the rear doors and have zero interaction with anyone else in the clinic. "Oh, and Beca, you, Major, and Bea have to be here until every one of those dogs is adopted."

Beca grinned and chucked Stacie on her shoulder. "I guess your idea worked, eh?"

"Maybe the other shelter dogs need a makeover, too." Stacie, too, was smiling from ear to ear.

Needless to say, the adoption drive was a success. The overflow dogs at Chloe's clinic were adopted in short order. Then Stacie got busy giving the other dogs well-deserved grooming sessions. Stacie insisted on a little love and attention on their looks gave the pooches the self-confidence needed to look pretty for the camera. Beca convinced herself it was all about the guinea pigs.

A/N: Happy Fourth of July! If you go out, be safe and wear your mask!