“Don’t let her lick you in the face.”
But the dog was already licking Auggie all over his face.
“The vet said she’s perfectly healthy, guys,” Nate said to both Isabel and Lourdes.
“Nate, she was living on the street!” Isabel answered quickly. “Who knows what she’s carrying.”
“The vet gave her all her shots, a tick bath, checked for worms,” answered Nate. “This puppy’s got a clean bill of health.”
“That is
not
a puppy, Nate!” Isabel pointed out.
That was true: The dog was definitely not a puppy. She wasn’t little, or soft and round, like puppies usually are. She was skinny and pointy and wild-eyed, and she had this crazy, long black tongue kind of pouring out of the side of her mouth. And she wasn’t a small dog, either. She was the same size as my grandmother’s labradoodle.
“Okay,” said Nate. “Well, she’s puppy
like.
”
“What kind of dog is she?” asked Auggie.
“The vet thinks a yellow lab mix,” answered Nate. “Maybe some chow?”
“More like pit bull,” said Isabel. “Did he at least tell you how old she is?”
Nate shrugged. “He couldn’t tell for sure,” he answered. “Two or three? Usually they judge from the teeth, but hers are in bad shape because, you know, she’s probably been eating junk food all her life.”
“Garbage and dead rats,” Lourdes said, like it was for sure.
“Oh God!” Isabel muttered, rubbing her hand over her face.
“Her breath does smell pretty bad,” said Via, waving her hand in front of her nose.
“Isabel,” said Nate, looking up at her. “She was destined for us.”
“Wait, you mean we’re
keeping
her?” Via said excitedly, her eyes opening up really wide. “I thought we were just babysitting her until we could find her a home!”
“I think
we
should be her home,” said Nate.
“Really, Daddy?” cried Auggie.
Nate smiled and pointed his chin at Isabel. “But it’s up to Mommy, guys,” he said.
“Are you kidding me, Nate?” cried Isabel as Via and Auggie ran over to her and started pleading with her, putting their hands together, like they were praying in church.
“Please please please please please please please please please?” they kept saying over and over again. “Please pretty please please please please?”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me, Nate!” said Isabel, shaking her head. “Like our lives aren’t complicated enough?”
Nate smiled and looked down at the dog, who was looking at him. “Look at her, honey! She was starving and cold. The homeless guy offered to sell her to me for ten bucks. What was I going to do, say no?”
“Yes!” said Lourdes. “Very easy to do.”
“It’s good karma to save a dog’s life!” answered Nate.
“Don’t do it, Isabel!” said Lourdes. “Dogs are dirty, and smelly. And they have germs. And you know who will end up walking her all the time, picking up all the poo-poo?” She pointed at Isabel.
“That’s not true, Mommy!” said Via. “I promise I’ll walk her. Every day.”
“Me too, Mommy!” said Auggie.
“We’ll take care of her completely,” continued Via. “We’ll feed her. We’ll do everything.”
“Everything!” added Auggie. “Please please please, Mommy?”
“Please please please, Mommy?” Via said at the same time.
Isabel was rubbing her forehead with her fingers, like she had a headache. Finally she looked at Nate and shrugged. “I think this is crazy, but…Okay. Fine.”
“Really?” shrieked Via, hugging Isabel tightly. “Thank you, Mommy! Thank you so much! I promise we’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you, Mommy!” repeated Auggie, hugging Isabel.
“Yay! Thank you, Isabel!” said Nate, clapping the dog’s two front paws together.
“Can I please pet her now?” I said to Lourdes, pulling away from her grip before she could stop me again. I slid over between Auggie and Via.
Nate put the dog down on the rug then, and she literally turned over onto her back so that we
But the dog was already licking Auggie all over his face.
“The vet said she’s perfectly healthy, guys,” Nate said to both Isabel and Lourdes.
“Nate, she was living on the street!” Isabel answered quickly. “Who knows what she’s carrying.”
“The vet gave her all her shots, a tick bath, checked for worms,” answered Nate. “This puppy’s got a clean bill of health.”
“That is
not
a puppy, Nate!” Isabel pointed out.
That was true: The dog was definitely not a puppy. She wasn’t little, or soft and round, like puppies usually are. She was skinny and pointy and wild-eyed, and she had this crazy, long black tongue kind of pouring out of the side of her mouth. And she wasn’t a small dog, either. She was the same size as my grandmother’s labradoodle.
“Okay,” said Nate. “Well, she’s puppy
like.
”
“What kind of dog is she?” asked Auggie.
“The vet thinks a yellow lab mix,” answered Nate. “Maybe some chow?”
“More like pit bull,” said Isabel. “Did he at least tell you how old she is?”
Nate shrugged. “He couldn’t tell for sure,” he answered. “Two or three? Usually they judge from the teeth, but hers are in bad shape because, you know, she’s probably been eating junk food all her life.”
“Garbage and dead rats,” Lourdes said, like it was for sure.
“Oh God!” Isabel muttered, rubbing her hand over her face.
“Her breath does smell pretty bad,” said Via, waving her hand in front of her nose.
“Isabel,” said Nate, looking up at her. “She was destined for us.”
“Wait, you mean we’re
keeping
her?” Via said excitedly, her eyes opening up really wide. “I thought we were just babysitting her until we could find her a home!”
“I think
we
should be her home,” said Nate.
“Really, Daddy?” cried Auggie.
Nate smiled and pointed his chin at Isabel. “But it’s up to Mommy, guys,” he said.
“Are you kidding me, Nate?” cried Isabel as Via and Auggie ran over to her and started pleading with her, putting their hands together, like they were praying in church.
“Please please please please please please please please please?” they kept saying over and over again. “Please pretty please please please please?”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me, Nate!” said Isabel, shaking her head. “Like our lives aren’t complicated enough?”
Nate smiled and looked down at the dog, who was looking at him. “Look at her, honey! She was starving and cold. The homeless guy offered to sell her to me for ten bucks. What was I going to do, say no?”
“Yes!” said Lourdes. “Very easy to do.”
“It’s good karma to save a dog’s life!” answered Nate.
“Don’t do it, Isabel!” said Lourdes. “Dogs are dirty, and smelly. And they have germs. And you know who will end up walking her all the time, picking up all the poo-poo?” She pointed at Isabel.
“That’s not true, Mommy!” said Via. “I promise I’ll walk her. Every day.”
“Me too, Mommy!” said Auggie.
“We’ll take care of her completely,” continued Via. “We’ll feed her. We’ll do everything.”
“Everything!” added Auggie. “Please please please, Mommy?”
“Please please please, Mommy?” Via said at the same time.
Isabel was rubbing her forehead with her fingers, like she had a headache. Finally she looked at Nate and shrugged. “I think this is crazy, but…Okay. Fine.”
“Really?” shrieked Via, hugging Isabel tightly. “Thank you, Mommy! Thank you so much! I promise we’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you, Mommy!” repeated Auggie, hugging Isabel.
“Yay! Thank you, Isabel!” said Nate, clapping the dog’s two front paws together.
“Can I please pet her now?” I said to Lourdes, pulling away from her grip before she could stop me again. I slid over between Auggie and Via.
Nate put the dog down on the rug then, and she literally turned over onto her back so that we
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