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“Gotcha. Cool.” It’s actually what Charlotte told me, in a nutshell, when I texted to ask how it’s going in Dallas. I was hoping Tessa would have something more exciting to tell me. For instance, that Charlotte mentioned she’s been missing me. I doubt Charlotte has been feeling like I have this week—like all the sunshine has drained from the atmosphere. Like all the birds in the sky have stopped chirping. Even ice cream seems like a pointless exercise. I clear my throat. “Thanks so much for letting Lucky stay here this week.”
“We had a blast with him. He’s a member of the family now. He’s been sleeping with Claire in her bed all week. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s awesome.”
“They’re joined at the hip. He’s in the family room with the kids. They’re watching a cartoon before dinnertime.”
I follow Tessa into the heart of the house. I’m surprised Lucky didn’t greet me in the entryway after hearing my voice. I’ve never once come home to my condo and not beenimmediatelygreeted by an excited Lucky. To be fair, though, this house is much bigger than my place. Plus, if he’s with the kids, it’s possible one or both are literally holding him hostage.
Welp, so much for the hostage theory. When we arrive in the family room, Rudy the husky hops off the couch to greet me, while Lucky stays put on Claire’s lap—but the little girl isn’t holding Lucky down or otherwise keeping him in place. Clearly, Lucky is free to go andchoosingto remain in Claire’s lap, even after seeing me walk in.
“Hey, Lucky,” I say, striding toward him. He wags his tail and bobs his head happily, but he doesn’t get up to greet me.On the contrary, the way Lucky’s staying put in Claire’s lap feels intentional. Like he’s saying, “Don’t youdaretry to take me away from here, motherfucker.”
“Hi, Uncle Auggie,” Zach says. He’s sitting on the couch next to Claire.
“Hey, buddy. Good to see you.” I address Tessa. “Hey, is Lucky feeling okay?”
“Yes, as far as I know. The kids just played with both dogs out in the back yard, and Lucky was zooming around the yard like a champ. Maybe he’s tired.”
“Yeah, that’s probably it. Has he been eating and drinking normally?”
“Yep. No issues.”
“Good. That’s great.” I drop it, not wanting to admit I’ve just realized my own dog doesn’t give enough of a shit about me, after only one week away, to leave the comfort of his new favorite person’s lap to welcome me back.
I sit next to Claire and stroke Lucky’s head, and my dog gives me every indication he’s delighted by my presence and touch. Thrilled, even. But, still, he doesn’t move from Claire’s lap and into mine, as I’d normally expect him to do. I don’t think that’s by chance. I think Lucky is letting me know I’m going to have to drag him out of this Nirvana he’s found with Tessa’s family, kicking and barking. As far as he’s concerned, I was nothing but a beloved foster parent till he found his forever home.
The thought of me leaving here without Lucky breaks my already broken heart. Not to mention, even if Lucky wants to remain here, it’s not up to him. Surely, Tessa’s already got more than enough on her plate with her family, career, Rudy, and a third baby on the way.
“Sorry, buddy,” I say, patting Lucky’s head. “All good things must come to an end, little dude. It’s time for us to go home.”
Claire suddenly realizes what’s happening. Up until now, she was too absorbed in her cartoon to grasp the situation. But now, in a flash, she wraps her little arms around the dog and calls out to Tessa, “Mommy, no. Please! Let him stay!”
Tessa looks deeply sympathetic to her daughter’s plight, but she shakes her head and says, “Honey, I know how much you love Lucky. We all love him. But I’ve reminded you all week long: he’s not going to stay with us forever. We were only dog-sitting for Auggie, remember? Auggie loves Lucky the same way you love Rudy, remember?”
The little girl bursts into tears and nuzzles her tiny nose against the top of Lucky’s furry head. “I love you, Lucky,” she chokes out. “I love you so, so much.”
“Oh, honey,” Tessa says. “This isn’t goodbye forever. I’m sure Auggie will let you visit him sometimes. Right, Auggie?” Tessa looks at me hopefully, her eyebrows raised. And suddenly, I know what I need to do, assuming Tessa would be open to it. Like Mom always says, “If you love someone, set them free.” Well, I love Lucky. And clearly, he’s decided he’s home. A week ago, I set free someone I love with all my heart. The woman of my dreams. The woman I’d pledge myself to, forever, in a heartbeat, if I could rewind the clock and redo that conversation in front of the hotel. Well, if I managed to do that, if I managed to muster the strength to set Charlotte free to follow her dreams, then, surely, I can do the same for Lucky.
I clear my throat. “Can we talk in another room, Tessa?”
Tessa looks dubious. “Sure thing.”
We head into the nearby sprawling kitchen, where Tessa leans her backside against the island and waits with raised eyebrows to hear whatever I’m going to say.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” I begin. “Take whatever time you need to think about it. But I think Lucky would be much happier living here with Rudy and your family, than withme at my place. If you want to make him a permanent part of your family, I’m willing to let him go . . .” I choke up and stop. But after taking a deep breath, I’m able to continue: “In order to give him the best possible life.”
Tears are welled in Tessa’s dark eyes. “Oh my gosh, Auggie. We wouldloveto have him. He’s already become a full-fledged member of our family. But are you sure you can part with him? It’s clear he’s your baby.”
“He is, but, yes, I’m sure. Although . . . Come to think of it, I should probably call my mother first to get her blessing. Lucky was her mother’s dog, my grandma’s dog, and I feel like I should ask her permission before we finalize anything.”
“Of course. We’d only want to do this if everyone is sure.”
“If she says yes, I can take him back with me, until you talk it over with Ryan when he gets home.”
Tessa shakes her head. “I don’t need to talk to Ryan. We’ve been talking about getting a second dog for a while now, and more than a few times this week, Ryan said, ‘I’ve never liked small dogs, but Lucky’s changed my mind about that. Maybe we should pull the trigger and get ourselves a second dog. A little one just like Lucky, so they can sleep with Claire every night, the same way Lucky does.’”
A surge of emotion rises up inside me. I already felt in my bones this was a great idea. But hearing that Ryan thinks so, too, only confirms it.
