by Daphne Maple
“I just wanted to check in and see how everything’s going with Lily,” Alice said, settling into the chair behind her desk. “I can see how happy she is when she comes in for the club, but I wanted to make sure everything is smooth at home, too.”
“Um, yeah, it’s good,” I said, fumbling a little. I didn’t want to lie to Alice, but there was no way I was admitting the things my mom said. “Lily is really comfortable and I love having her.” That was true. “And Lily likes my mom a lot.” That was also, mysteriously, true. Though of course my mom was kind to Lily. I always saw her petting Lily in the morning when I came down for breakfast, and last night I’d caught her cooing to Lily over a toy Lily had dropped at her feet.
“I’m so glad to hear it,” Alice said. “And I think that means I can start the process of taking in a dog from one of the shelters, to take Lily’s place.”
“That’s great,” I said. I loved the idea of saving one of those dogs that would otherwise be put down. Despite my mom’s bad attitude, I was proud we’d taken in a foster dog so that another dog could have a second chance to find a home.
“The process will take a week or two,” Alice said. “And my hope is that after the craft fair we’ll have more offers for fostering and more spots opening up.”
“That would be awesome,” I said, happy at the thought of lots of dogs finding homes instead of being put to sleep.
“Keep me posted if anything changes with Lily,” Alice said, standing up.
“I will,” I said, heading out. My fingers were crossed that the change would be from us fostering Lily to adopting her, but so far there was no sign of that happening.
Still, as the game of doggy basketball began, with Lily, Gracie, Daisy, and Coco making mad dashes for the basket while Waffles and Popsicle tried to steal the ball and stuff it back in the toy bin, I let myself picture how perfect it would be if Lily was mine forever.
11
“Is Lily ready for her doggy sleepover?” Sasha asked, opening up the door to her house. Taylor, Kim, and Mr. S stood right behind her, and Lily, who I’d brought with me, barked in happy greeting.
“She sure is,” I said with a smile as I let her off her leash.
When I couldn’t host, Sasha came up with the idea of a double sleepover: one for us humans and one for Lily and Mr. S.
Lily rushed inside where she and Mr. S sniffed in greeting and then began romping together.
“This is too cute,” Sasha squealed.
Taylor had her camera out and was taking pictures. “This is seriously the sweetest thing ever.”
Kim was grinning as she watched the dogs play. “I can’t wait ’til tonight when they realize Lily’s staying. I bet they’ll curl up in the same dog bed together.”
I would miss Lily cuddling next to me at night, but it would be worth it to see her and Mr. S all tucked in together.
Sasha led the way up to her room. Lily stopped to inspect everything along the way and Mr. S stood beside her, ever the good host. I put my backpack and sleeping bag on the floor in the corner, where Kim and Taylor had already piled their things.
“I wanted to wait until everyone got here to tell you the good news,” Sasha said, sitting down on her bed and bouncing a bit as she spoke. “My mom loved the idea of the reusable bags! Her firm will totally sponsor them.”
“Awesome,” Taylor said happily, sitting down next to Sasha.
“Totally,” Kim agreed. She perched on Sasha’s desk chair while I sat down on the floor where I could cuddle the dogs.
“So Bri, whenever you’re ready you can make the design for the back of the bag,” Sasha said. “I called Lester’s and they said if we get everything to them by Monday the bags will be ready for the craft festival.”
“Actually,” I said sheepishly, “I already started. I have a design I like and I brought it with me if you guys want to check it out.”
“Of course!” Taylor said.
I grabbed my backpack and pulled a folder out of it. “I tried out a couple of things,” I said. “And I think this one is the best. But if you guys don’t like it I can definitely make another.” It was a silhouette of a kid and a dog, standing under a tree. The dog was standing on her hind paws, with her front paws on the shoulders of the kid. And I’d angled the dog’s head so that you could tell she was giving her owner a big kiss.
I passed it over to Taylor while Kim and Sasha came to peer at it from either side.
“It’s wonderful,” Kim said, almost breathlessly. “Bri, you are seriously talented.”
I ducked my head as my cheeks heated up. It still felt strange to be sharing my artwork, but my friends’ support made it a lot easier.
“I love it too,” Sasha exclaimed, jumping up. “Let’s go show my mom right now.”
So back downstairs we went, the dogs right behind us. Sasha’s mom was in the kitchen, cell phone pressed to her ear. She was grinning broadly at whatever the person on the other end was saying, and after a moment she let out a peal of laughter.
The dogs raced over and she bent down to rub Mr. S’s ears and let Lily sniff her hand in greeting. “The girls and the dogs are here so I need go,” she said into the phone. Then she hung up, her eyes still bright. “Taylor, that was your dad and he said hi,” she said. “And reminded you not to drink too many milk shakes.”
We all laughed at that. Mr. S went over to his water dish, but Lily stayed next to Sasha’s mom, who stroked the soft fur on Lily’s chest. “Aren’t you a beauty,” she cooed to Lily.
I couldn’t help feeling jealous that Sasha’s mom was so great about Lily. But I was also happy for Sasha, since I knew it had taken a lot of coaxing to turn her mom into a dog owner willing to host a doggy sleepover.
“We have something to show you,” Sasha bubbled. “It’s the picture Bri made for the reusable bag.”
“Ooh, let’s see,” Sasha’s mom said, standing up.
Sasha handed her the paper and I realized my heart was banging in my chest as her mother stared down at it. What if she hated it?
After a moment she looked up at me, her face serious. “Bri, you are quite talented,” she said. “You could have a real future in graphic design if you chose to.”
For the second time in ten minutes my face warmed.
“It’s perfect, right?” Sasha asked. “And the logo and all our information and the tag from your firm will go in the other side.”
“Sounds like a plan,” her mom said. “I can take everything to Lester’s if you guys want.”
I kind of wanted to take it myself, to talk to Lester about layout, but Sasha was already nodding. “That would be great, thanks,” she said.
“Yes, it’s a big help,” Kim agreed. “Thanks.”
I was disappointed not to get to go to the store, but clearly no one else felt that way so I kept it to myself.
“Dinner is almost ready if you ladies want to set the table,” Sasha’s mom said. “I slaved over it all day, so I hope you like it.”
I was ready to thank her, but everyone else burst out laughing.
“I just ordered pizza,” Sasha’s mom said when she noticed my confusion. “The others know that’s what we usually do when Sasha hosts.”
Of course they all knew. And of course I didn’t since I’d only been to a few sleepovers.
“We always get mushroom and pepperoni,” Sasha added.
“It’s our favorite combo,” Taylor added, but then she looked at me. “That’s okay, right?”
Actually, I hated mushrooms. But I didn’t want to be any more of a fourth wheel than I already was. “Sure,” I lied, pasting a smile on my face. “That sounds great.”
“Hi, Mom, we’re home,” I called as Lily and I walked into the house on Sunday afternoon.
My mom walked in, pulling the vacuum behind her. Her mouth was pursed. “I finally got the house clean and here she is, ready to shed all over it again,” she complained, glaring at Lily.
I was tired from lack of sleep and still crabby fro
m feeling left out. In other words, I was in no mood for another one of my mom’s anti-Lily rants.
“I’m going to take a nap,” I said. I always napped after sleepovers since we were up half the night.
“I was hoping you’d offer to help me clean, but I suppose that’s too much to ask,” my mom said.
“But you told me you just cleaned,” I exclaimed, throwing up my hands.
“I meant after that dog messes up the house again,” my mom snapped as Lily bounded upstairs.
I closed my eyes, the start of a headache tapping at my temples. “Mom, her name is Lily, not ‘that dog,’” I said, trying not to snap back.
“Well, she’s just here a few more weeks,” my mom said grimly, her words slicing into me just as Lily pranced back into the room, the chewed up plastic hamburger in her mouth. She headed right for my mom and dropped the toy at my mom’s feet, then wagged her tail, ready to play fetch.
“What is that?” my mom gasped, recoiling as though Lily had dropped a dead snake at her feet. “And where did it come from?”
“It’s one of Lily’s toys from the shelter,” I said, annoyed with myself that I hadn’t made sure to lock it up. “I think it made her feel comfortable when she first got here.”
“I should have known,” my mom said darkly. “Of course the shelter allows animals to play with mangled-up toys that probably contain lead paint.”
“Mom, it’s not poisoned,” I said sharply, scooping up the hamburger. Lily, thinking I planned to throw it for her to fetch, began to bark happily.
“Lily, quiet!” my mom said, scowling.
But that was not a command Lily knew, so she kept barking.
“You don’t train dogs, you give them unsafe toys,” my mom began.
“Mom, stop,” I shouted, fed up. “You have no idea what the shelter is like because you’ve never even been there.”
My tone scared Lily, who cowered in the corner. I hated that I’d upset her, but I was so angry at my mom that I was shaking. “You don’t care what I want,” I went on. “I love the shelter, I love Lily, but all you do is put down both of them.”
“I think that’s overstating it a bit,” my mom sniffed, like I was totally overreacting.
Which made my anger turn into rage, the kind where I didn’t think, I just let the words pour out. “Fine,” I fumed. “If you don’t want Lily, I don’t want her either. We can return her to the shelter tomorrow.”
There was a short silence as we both absorbed what I’d said. I opened my mouth, wanting to take it back, but my mom spoke first.
“I’m glad you suggested it,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do. I have my hands full enough as it is with your dad away so much. We need a dog that’s trainable, who can learn to fit in with our family, not one that creates this much work. I’ll drop her off first thing in the morning.”
My eyes filled with tears as I stared at Lily, my heart breaking, but the damage was already done.
12
“See you guys at the shelter,” Kim said. It was after school the next day and we were splitting up to get our dogs for the club meeting. I’d put off telling my friends what had happened with Lily, but I knew I had to say something now. It would just be harder if I waited until the shelter, when Lily would be there.
“I, uh, have something to tell you,” I said, then cleared my throat. It was going to take everything in me to get the words out without totally bawling. “My mom and I decided we needed to stop fostering Lily.”
Sasha gasped, Kim’s eyes widened, and Taylor reached out and grabbed my arm. “What happened?” she asked.
“I guess it was just a little too much for my mom,” I said, my voice squeaky. “Lily sheds a lot and her training is really different from dogs at the Pampered Puppy.” I took a shaky breath. “I feel really bad letting Alice and everyone down but—”
“Don’t worry about that,” Taylor said firmly, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. It felt good.
“Taylor’s right,” Kim agreed. “If it wasn’t working, the best thing was to take Lily back.”
“We’re just sorry because we know how much you love Lily,” Sasha said sympathetically.
Now I was blinking back tears. “We should probably go pick up the club dogs now,” I said, tugging on a lock of hair. I hadn’t bothered to put it up this morning. Nothing, not even a fun hairstyle, was going to cheer me up today.
“Is there anything we can do?” Taylor asked.
I shook my head. “No,” I said. “But thanks for asking.”
Lily bounded up to me the second I walked into the shelter with Humphrey, Popsicle, and Mr. S. As soon as I’d let them off their leashes I bent down and hugged her close, burying my face in her soft fur. She barked happily, probably thinking she was coming home with me after the meeting, like always. The thought made my chest ache.
“Hi, Bri,” Alice said. “Let’s talk when you’re ready.”
I took a deep breath and followed her into her office. “I’m sorry,” I said, before even sitting down. “I know you were getting another dog and I know you were counting on us to keep Lily and—”
Alice held up a hand and I stopped talking and sank into the chair across from her desk.
“It’s okay, Bri,” Alice said, her voice kind. “These things happen. If it wasn’t the right fit then it’s best for Lily to be back here.”
It was just what Kim had said, but it didn’t make me feel better. “Lily was the perfect fit for me,” I mumbled.
Alice reached out and took one of my hands. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” she said, her gentle tone bringing me dangerously close to tears.
“Thanks,” I said, when I could speak clearly.
“We’ll take good care of her here,” Alice assured me. “And you’ll see her every time you come in for Dog Club.”
It wasn’t the same but I nodded, appreciating how nice Alice was being. I knew it was hard for her that we’d returned Lily, especially after I’d told her last week that everything was fine.
I headed out to the big room where Gracie, Gus, Waffles, Coco, and Mr. S were playing fetch with Caley. Tim was wrestling with Boxer, Lily, Daisy, Jinx, Tuesday, and Hattie. Popsicle and Missy were chasing a tennis ball and Humphrey was napping in the corner, next to Kim, Taylor, and Sasha, who were standing in a tight circle and speaking in low voices. The minute Taylor caught sight of me she cleared her throat and the three of them looked at me almost guiltily. Great, I was the fourth wheel again, on what was already one of the worst days of my life.
“Lester’s called,” Sasha said brightly as she picked up the tennis ball to throw for Missy and Popsicle. “The bags and calendars will be ready on Friday and my mom said she’ll pick them up after work.”
“And the Lopezes emailed to say that the chocolates are all ready and they’ll bring them to the booth on Saturday,” Kim said.
I’d almost forgotten that the craft festival was this weekend. At least that would help find foster families so we could still save that dog who was supposed to take Lily’s place at the shelter.
“Perfect,” Taylor said, grabbing the blue rubber bone to play with Coco, who had wandered over.
Boxer came up to me, his Frisbee in his mouth. I sent it flying across the room and he raced after it, Lily on his heels. It hurt to look at her, knowing she would never be mine, so I went over to Humphrey and began rubbing his belly. He sighed contentedly.
“I was thinking that maybe we should have a couple of the dogs hang out with us at the booth during the festival,” Kim said. “So people can see how sweet and friendly they are.”
“Great idea,” Alice said. She was getting ready to go to the bank but stopped to pet Oscar in his bed on the windowsill. “I think we could do each dog for two hours at a time so they don’t get overtired.”
Kim was nodding. “That sounds good.”
“People won’t be able to resist signing up, or at least donating money, when they meet some of these sweeties,” Caley sa
id. She was cuddling Jinx, who licked her cheek, as though agreeing.
“Why don’t you guys come up with a schedule?” Alice asked.
“We’re on it,” Taylor said.
Alice headed out and Taylor got out her phone to record our list.
“Boxer might have trouble sitting too long,” Kim said, looking around the room. “But I think Tuesday would be perfect.”
“So she can take the first slot,” Taylor said, typing it into her phone. “From ten to twelve.”
I cleared my throat. “Lily would be great too.”
Taylor shot me a sympathetic look. “Are you sure?”
I nodded mechanically. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was best for Lily and that mattered more. “I know she’d be happy if another family could take her in.”
“What—” Tim began, but Kim shot him a look and he closed his mouth. Which I really appreciated, because there was no way I could tell the story of our failed foster experience again without bursting into tears.
“Lily from twelve to two, and then how about Gracie from two to four?” Sasha said.
“Perfect,” Taylor said, typing it and then sliding her phone into her pocket. “I’ll show Alice the list when she gets back.”
“And one of us can be in charge of walking each dog to and from the shelter,” Kim said.
“I think we have everything set for the festival,” Caley said.
“Well, then you know what that means,” Tim said.
“What?” Caley asked.
“It’s time for a game of doggy tag!”
So we all headed outside into the sunny afternoon to play with the dogs.
I’d done my best to stay cheerful, but by the time the last club dog had been picked up, all I wanted was to climb into bed and pull the covers over my head, possibly forever.
Lily bounded up to me when she saw me putting on my coat, but Alice quickly took Lily into her office. I wanted to thank Alice, but the lump in my throat made it impossible to say anything. So I waved quickly and ducked out, then headed home alone, my feet heavy and my heart aching with every step.
