Animal Angel

by M. J. Wilson

  “Joanie, can you set the table?” Dad startled me so much that I dropped my pencil.

  Glad to get away from my homework, I nodded. Pepper nuzzled my leg as I got up from the table. I patted her head, gave her a scratch behind the ears, and gazed into her lovely chocolate eyes. Honestly, Pepper was a really ugly dog, but she was so sweet no one could resist her. She understood where I was coming from.

  Penny got home just as I set the last fork into place. She flopped down at the table, her cheeks red, breath coming in great puffs, like she had just run all the way home. I eyed her as she smoothed her hair. When Mom set a glass of milk in front of her, Penny gulped it down in one long swig. Where had she been? Penny was growing up, as Mom liked to remind me, and I didn’t always understand the highs and lows of her moods. She made me nervous to become a teenager myself.

  “Something’s going on,” I said to her in a low voice when Mom went back into the kitchen.

  With a slight quirk of her eyebrow, Penny asked, “Like what?”

  I shrugged and snagged a roll from the basket Mom had placed on the table. “Something thrilling, from the way everyone is acting.”

  Before we could discuss the matter further, Mom and Dad came into the dining room. Dad yelled for Kaye, who yelled back that she had to finish fixing her hair. Mom and Dad exchanged a look. We’d all seen that look before, and I felt the tiniest bit guilty that I was happy one of my sisters would be getting a lecture. When Kaye flounced down the stairs, still preening, my guilt melted away, only to be replaced by glee.

  We waited while Dad served himself, then I dove in. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes with a side of green beans might not be a glamorous meal, but it sure hit the spot tonight. I was so focused on my food that I nearly forgot about the exciting news that Mom had. She sat across the table from Dad, worrying the edge of her napkin. The corners of her mouth tugged upward like she was trying to contain a smile.

  Dad’s gaze flickered to Kaye and his jaw clenched slightly, but then his eyes met Mom’s and his expression changed. Just like it did every time he looked at her. “Oh, go ahead, Barb, tell them the news.”

  Mom smiled. “The animal rescue called…”

  “Not again,” Kaye muttered.

  Dad shot her his look. Then Mom continued, “They found a mother dog who is lactating, but they couldn’t find her puppies anywhere.”

  Kaye rolled her eyes. “Not interested.”

  “It’s kind of sad,” Penny said softly, her eyes never leaving her plate. “What do you suppose happened to them? The puppies, I mean.”

  Silence descended on the table. Finally Mom said, “I don’t know, honey. They want us to foster her, though. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Penny nodded then took another bite of food.

  Kaye tapped her fork against the edge of her plate. “Sorry, not exciting and not sad. Can we move on?”

  “Kaye.” Dad’s warning chastised her enough that she sat back in her chair, but she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him defiantly.

  “Is that it?” I asked. “I mean, it’s great to have another dog, but…”

  The secret smile returned. I could barely breathe as I tried to decipher what information she was holding back. Some dark hair had escaped from her ponytail and curled around her face making her appear younger than she was. “The animal rescue also found a litter of puppies. Five, I think she said. They need a mother. So…the rescue wants to know if we’ll help them get acquainted.”

  “Puppies?” I could barely keep my voice from shaking. A wave of adrenaline washed over me. Dad had never wanted us to have puppies in the house before. Too much work. Too much mess. Too much noise. And now there would be five. Five!

  “When are we getting them?” Penny asked. She had finally looked up from her plate, and I could see my own exhilaration mirrored on her face. For a moment, she resembled the sister I remembered, not the moody girl she had become.

  Mom opened her mouth to answer when, suddenly, a tiny, persistent wailing filled the air. Setting her napkin gently on the table, Mom got up. I slumped back in my seat, annoyance flickering through me. Couldn’t Lee wait until Mom had at least told us when the puppies would be arriving? Babies have an awful sense of timing.

  A moment later, Mom returned to the table bouncing baby Lee on her shoulder. My little brother burped and snuggled into the crook of Mom’s arm as she took a spoonful of her mashed potatoes. Penny and I exchanged an impatient glance. I knew better than to ask outright. Mom was busy, and Dad hated when we pestered her. So there was nothing to do but wait.

  I tried to eat, but the thought of five squirmy little puppies running through the house made my stomach flutter with excitement. Food didn’t seem appealing at the moment. I tapped the tines of my fork against my plate, trying to be quiet, but failing when Dad reached over and stilled my hand.

  “Let’s finish, girls,” he said. “You can wash up while we get a place ready for this dog.”

  My eyes widened, and I turned my gaze toward Mom. She caught me staring and nodded with a smile. “They are bringing them over tonight.”

  Kaye frowned. “What about Pepper? Remember what happened when we got Charlie?”

  “Yeah, well, Pepper needs another dog around,” Penny argued. “Ever since Duke…” Her voice cracked.

  We all knew she missed Duke the most, but she’d deny it vehemently if anyone brought it up. Instead, Mom reached across the table with her free hand and squeezed Penny’s hand.

  “Don’t worry about Pepper and Charlie,” she said. “These dogs won’t be here long. We’re fostering them, not adopting the lot.”

  “And for tonight, Pepper can sleep up in your room,” Dad announced.

  Kaye’s eyes narrowed briefly. I wondered if she was looking for the trick in this plan. The moment passed then she merely shrugged and went back to her food. Dinner passed with agonizing slowness. If I leaned back just a bit in my chair, I could glimpse the kitchen clock and, I swear, the minute hand ticked backward at least three times.

  When everyone had finished, I was the first to rush my plate to the sink. As I waited for the basin to fill with warm water, I added a bit of soap. Penny followed close at my heels.

  “You wash, I’ll dry,” she said, setting down her glass.

  I nodded, a sudden tenseness consuming me. Speaking required too much of my brainpower. I wanted to focus all my mental energy on enjoying the dogs. Fostering meant they might only be here for a few weeks, but that was long enough to get to love them. Dad wouldn’t let us get another dog.

  By the time we had the dishes done, the tenseness had turned into a knot in my stomach. I went out to the front porch to wait. The typical sounds of a Friday night filled the neighborhood: the boys across the street playing basketball in the driveway, a lawnmower grumbling down the block, closely followed by Old Mr. Henson’s mild curses as the thing sputtered over a stick. A yellow car lumbered by, slowing down briefly in front of our house. My heart sped up. Could this be them?

  Just as quickly, the car moved away, and my mood deflated. They had just paused to avoid a squirrel. I watched the furry little thing scamper up a tree in our front yard. Pepper barked in the back yard. Down the street, another dog answered her call. Where were they? I hugged myself. Even though it was late May, the evening breeze was chilly as the sun dipped low.

  Summer vacation started in a few weeks. I tried to distract myself with all the plans I had: lots of bike riding and time at the pool. Summer would be more fun with all those puppies. I could picture the long, hot days spent walking multiple dogs down to the park a few blocks over. Our old dog, Duke, hated that park. Every time we went there, he’d start growling the minute we entered the park’s perimeter. Then he’d start an all-out vicious bark as we neared the center, where a large statue stood. The man wore a large, plumed hat and held a sword out in front of him. I guess Duke thought the statue was real or something, and that he was protecting us. I wondered how the puppies would react.
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  The screen door opened behind me, and Mom settled on the top step. We sat in silence for a while, watching and waiting. When a white van turned onto our street, Mom stood up. I had to restrain myself not to run out into the street. Excitement coursed through me. I followed her down the steps, dancing a little on the way.

  A young woman with a long, blonde ponytail stepped out of the van. She smiled at us and reached out to shake Mom’s hand.

  “I’m Sue,” she said. “Jenny’s in the back here. Todd will be bringing the puppies by in about an hour. We wanted to give Jenny some time to get settled before she has to become a foster mama to five little scamps.”

  Mom nodded, stepping closer as Sue slid the van door open. The yellow lab that stared up at us had a sweet face but sad eyes. Sue reached in and snapped on a leash. With a gentle tug, Jenny lumbered to her feet and hefted herself out of the car. She wasn’t exactly rotund, but her belly was round. As she turned circles on the grass, sniffing, stretching, and getting her bearings, I noticed her teats swollen with milk. I couldn’t help but gape. She looked just like the cow we’d milked on our class field trip last year.

  With a prod to my back, Mom nudged me forward. She took the leash from Sue and let Jenny sniff around for a while. Once Jenny had relieved herself, Sue said goodbye. When we turned toward the house, Penny, Kaye, and Dad stood on the front porch. Penny looked just as jazzed as I felt, while Kaye seemed to be appraising the whole situation for its appropriate emotional response. Dad’s mouth was set in a sort of grimace.

  Lee wailed from inside the house, causing Mom to quicken her step. Jenny galumphed along behind. Without stopping to introduce the dog to her new foster family, Mom stepped inside. We all followed as she turned toward the living room where Lee lay nestled in a bassinet. From around the corner, Pepper dashed up to Jenny. She scooted back as Pepper eyed her curiously.

  Mom dropped the leash, hurried over to Lee, and scooped him up. “Who forgot to put Pepper in a separate room?”

  Kaye edged around the doorframe, looking both guilty and defiant. Her lips were drawn into a frown. Before she could say anything, though, the two dogs started sniffing each other. Their tongues lolled happily out of their mouths, and tails began to wag. I let out a tiny breath of relief.

  “See? They like each other,” Kaye said in a flippant tone. Still, I could see she was fighting a smile as her eyes crinkled at the corners.

  Satisfied with the new arrival, Pepper trotted out to the kitchen where I could hear her drinking greedily from her water bowl. We needed to get Jenny some food and water. Kaye’s attitude made me sure she wouldn’t be up for that chore. Mom sat on the couch cooing to Lee. I decided it would have to be me.

  I found Duke’s old dishes under the sink. After a moment’s hesitation, I plunked them on the floor beside Pepper’s bowls and set about filling them with dry food and water. It felt strange to give Duke’s things to another dog. Pepper watched me with such intensity that I caved and hurried to the pantry to get her a dog treat. Her tail practically knocked me over as I stepped around her. That dog would turn herself into a helicopter one day, with her tail acting as the propeller.

  When I got back into the living room, Jenny was by the couch sniffing Lee’s head. She gave it a tentative lick, and when everyone started cooing praise, she started to wag her tail again. I watched with something a lot like envy as Jenny made Lee giggle while she sniffed his ears and chin. Mom stroked Jenny’s head and Lee’s giggles turned into a full-blown chortle.

  “See? She’s a natural,” Mom said. “When the puppies get here, she’ll take to them in no time.”

  “But will they take to her?” Dad asked. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

  Mom pursed her lips and arched an eyebrow at Dad. He gave a half shrug that said he conceded. These puppies would have a new mama and that was that. My sisters and I grew quiet as we watched Jenny trundle around her new surroundings. She sniffed at the coffee table for a while. Then she squatted and peed on our carpet. I held in a burst of laughter.

  “No, no, Jenny,” Mom scolded gently.

  Dad sighed and disappeared into the kitchen to get some cleaning supplies. Mom stood and passed Lee to Kaye. She smoothed a hand over her skirt.

  “Let’s get Jenny settled, shall we?”

  In the breakfast nook, Mom set about bunching towels and blankets into a makeshift bed. I gathered Jenny’s food and water bowls from the kitchen. Penny rearranged the small bookshelf that normally stood in the nook corner so that the doorway was partially blocked.

  “This way she’ll have more privacy from Pepper,” Penny said. I liked her reasoning. Pepper was a sweetheart, but also a nosy old busybody. She liked to be in everyone’s business. I smoothed the top blanket.

  Mom surveyed the area. “Looks good, girls,” she said.

  A knock at the door echoed through the house like thunder. Penny and I froze. Excitement shot through me, and I could feel the blood throbbing in my ears. Mom seemed too calm for the moment. The puppies are here. Shouldn’t she be running around or jumping up and down? Instead she smiled at us. Just smiled. A small smile that looked happy and satisfied.

  We trailed after her like baby ducks. Dad was standing at the door with a large cardboard box in his arms. The man he was talking to had a scruffy beard and thick glasses. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was gesturing with his hands and grinning like a madman. I gazed past him into the gathering twilight. Where were the puppies? Were they still in his van?

  Mom joined them and peered into the box.

  “That’s where the puppies are,” Penny said in a soft voice.

  “Duh, I know,” I replied, but I hadn’t and that made me feel stupid. How could I have missed that fact?

  Penny inched closer to the small group, trying to get a look into the box. Her efforts were thwarted, however, when a groan came from Kaye in the living room.

  “Gross, Lee,” she said. “There’s no way I am changing this one, Mom. It’s running up his back. Ew. Ew. Ew. I think it’s in his hair. How did he poop in his hair?”

  Mom gave the man an apologetic smile and headed toward the living room. Dad half-turned toward Penny and me.

  “Penny, can you go get Jenny and take her to the breakfast nook?” he asked. Penny nodded and hurried off to find her. I stood still, hoping that Dad would put me in charge of the puppies. Instead, he turned back to the man. “Thank you for bringing them by… Todd. We’ll take good care of them.”

  Todd nodded vigorously, the ends of his beard bobbing. “Sue thinks you guys are the best. If anyone can make these dogs a family, it’s you guys. If you have any trouble, you give us a call in the morning.”

  As Todd jogged down the sidewalk to his van, Dad motioned toward the door with his chin. “Joanie, can you lock up?”

  I stared after Dad, chewing my lip in frustration. Then I shut the door with a satisfying thump and click of the lock. I gave the bottom a small kick too, just for good measure. Why did Dad have to give Penny a job like getting Jenny when all I got to do was lock the stupid door? I paused, embarrassment washing over me. I sounded like a six-year-old baby. Mentally I gave myself a quick shake. No twelve-year-old acted this way. And if I could show Mom and Dad how mature I was being with the whole situation, they would surely let me help.

  I trailed Dad into the kitchen and sat down at the table. A moment later, Penny brought Jenny in on her leash. The dog glanced warily at the table where the box of puppies rested before wagging her tail and following Penny into the breakfast nook. I craned my neck to see Jenny turn around several times before dropping to the makeshift bed.

  Mom reached a hand into the box to stroke the puppies, who had started to whimper. She sighed. “These guys are young, but I’m not sure they’re young enough to take to Jenny,” she said.

  “Can I help?” I asked. My stomach churned as I waited for the answer. The silence stretched on for what seemed like years while Mom looked from me to the puppies
to Jenny. She was going to say no. I could just feel it. The corners of her mouth were turned down, not quite in a frown but just bordering on it. When she sighed again I felt my heart drop and disappointment flood through me. I had to blink hard to keep the tears from slipping out.

  “I’ll let you and Penny help for a while, but you have to do exactly as I say,” Mom replied.

  I suppressed a squeal. “I’ll do everything just like you say.”

  Mom picked up the box with surprising delicacy for something so heavy. She headed into the breakfast nook where Penny sat beside Jenny stroking her yellow fur. The dog raised her head just an inch or two off the bed when Mom knelt beside her.

  “It’s okay, sweet girl,” Mom said in a soft voice, the cooing tone not unlike what she used for Lee. “We’ve got some little ones here who need a new mama. You’ll like them. You’ll see.”

  She carefully lifted one of the puppies out of the box. Holding it gently, Mom transferred the puppy right beside Jenny’s face. The dog sat up and snuffled the little puppy that could barely open his eyes. Jenny gave him a small lick before settling back down. Satisfied that Jenny had accepted the puppy, Mom nestled the puppy beside a swollen nipple.

  We watched as the puppy fumbled about. He flicked his little tongue out of his mouth like a snake, but after several attempts he failed to latch on. Mom sighed and scooped the puppy back up. She lifted another from the box and repeated the process.

  Finally, as the last puppy failed to latch on to Jenny, Mom pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. “Well, this is going to be a long night,” she said.

  Confused, I looked from Jenny to the box, and then back at Mom. “But they didn’t nurse,” I said. “Isn’t that it?”

  Penny asked, “What else can we do?”

  “Did you really expect it to work after one time?” Mom stood up. “Jenny isn’t their mother. We crossed a huge hurdle when she accepted all of them. Now we’ll have to keep trying to help them latch. Right now, though, we all need to get some food into these little guys.”