Ashley's Dad (rejected plot concept)

The next day finds you in the park, sitting on a bench with Tibby on your lap, her head resting on your shoulder and her sandaled feet next to your legs. Her tail has been swapped for a light brown clip-on that's attached somewhere below her yellow summer dress. Since Ashley hasn't given her black choker back yet, she's wearing the studded collar she showed you yesterday.

Ashley is sitting next to you, her hands in her lap, eyes on the ground. She's clearly bothered by something, but it takes some coaxing to get it out of her.

"I found out who my dad is yesterday."

"What? Did your mom finally tell you about him?" Ashley's mom never talked about Ashley's father, even though she'd asked her about him repeatedly as she grew up. The only answer she ever got was what she already knew: He's not here. He left before you were born. We're a family of two, that's just the way it is.

Ashley shakes her head. "Not much. I got his name out of her a week ago. It's an unfortunately common name, but I did my research, put out some feelers... and yesterday one of the people I contacted got back to me. So I know who he is. When my mom was done teasing me about coming home with a pair of cat ears on my head, I confronted her with his facebook profile and she confirmed it's him."

Tibby has been listening quietly while you absentmindedly scratch behind her ears, but when Ashley doesn't say anything else she gets impatient. "It's who? Come on, out with it!"

"He was a traveling salesman. When he started dating my mom they'd only see each other every other week, but he convinced her that he wanted to settle down. When she found out she was pregnant and tried to hold him to it, it turned out he had already settled down with another woman. The other woman, Lena, was pregnant too. Pregnant with a girl they called Tabitha Valentina Moralez." Ashley's eyes come up to look at a shocked Tibby. "That's your full name isn't it?"

Your pet stares back at your friend. "That... That's my name. And my mom's name. Are you saying my daddy..."

"Is my father too," Ashley confirms.

Author's Note, Spoilers:

This is a concept I was considering early on in this story. When I started YFP I had only a vague idea of a possible plot, I was just writing each chapter as it came to me (Ok, I still do that. But I do have long-term goals I'm working toward now). I knew there should be a genetic component to pethood, and that I wanted Ashley to... not necessarily become a pet, but to dip her toes into the pet experience. But I had no idea how to make that happen beyond Tibby loaning her a headband. That urgent phone call was my way of creating an opening I could drop whatever I decided on into later. If I didn't come up with anything satisfying, I'd just pretend the call was about something else and move on.

I was on the fence about how to proceed, but I posted a comment about it and the hormone thing was well-recieved (thank you btw to everyone who comments on my chapters, the feedback I get from readers is always encouraging and often gives me new ideas to improve my writing) so I decided to go with that and not worry about the exact cause. Genetics and hormones are chaotic, sometimes people fall far from the norm and you don't always know why.

I'm really glad that's what happened because I think it made for a better story than digging into Ashley's backstory. Some things are better left unexplained, or to be explored later. Ashley is studying biology after all. If I had gone with this backstory instead, it would have altered the trajectory of the story in significant ways.

In the branch I ended up writing, Ashley sees pethood as an aspect of herself she wants to learn about. It doesn't help the plans for her future she already had, but with her new owner and co-pet by her side she has the courage to face any challenge. In this branch I imagine she would have a harder time with things. Partly because she doesn't want to be defined by the DNA of a guy who abandoned her and her mom, partly because she'd be less comfortable experimenting with Tibby - **** is still taboo after all. John would do his best to support her, and she'd see her half-sister frequently, but she probably would not join their household.

The thought of going to college as a pet would be more daunting for her too. Would she give up her dream and struggle to come to terms with her new life while she looks for an owner other than John? Try to hide her nature in public, only wearing her ears around people she trusts? Or even deny it, suppressing her new urges and insisting she's a normal student? It's hard to say, and I'm glad I don't have to answer those questions.