AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She repeated it back and hung up. The sound rustled Dolly from her nap, and I seized the moment to carry her to her bed and get ready for mine. I tucked her in her orthopedic cushions and covered her with a blanket. She did a little stretch and roll, landing on her back with her head perfectly using the side of the bed as a pillow. It was cute.
“Dolly, you are such a little cutie!” I was starting to make less sense with my words, but that was thefunof it.
She closed her eyes and I tiptoed to my bathroom. After my nighttime skincare regime, I brushed my teeth and put my hair up in a silk cover to prevent further frizz and breakage. With the humidity here, I needed all the help I could get.“At least until you find a husband,”Judy’s voice rang through my mind. It was her anecdote anytime I told her I was watching my figure or needing to get my hair done. I loved her sense of humor.
That night we both slept soundly, which I desperately needed after the night before. I was out the second my head hit the pillow and didn’t wake up until my alarm went off the next morning.
“Oh no...” I meant to turn off the alarm, since I was able to sleep in today. For a moment I forgot Dolly probably needed to go to the bathroom, and I hit snooze. Sitting up abruptly, my eyes went to her bed, where she was still sitting, halfway under the blanket, but her head was up as if to say, ‘Good morning.’
I slid out of the bed, stretching and petting her simultaneously.
“Shall we take you potty?” I whispered. She must’ve known the command because she filed out of her bed, out of my room and I followed her to my patio, where I slid open the door and she quickly used her grass pad. It was raining out,and I cringed seeing her shiver, but she ran back inside and did a hilarious full-body shake, a small mist coming from her body.
“Good girl, Dolly!” Wow, was every dog this easy? I had a feeling they weren’t. My stomach rumbled.
“Time for break-ky!” The moment I said it, my hand covered my mouth in shock. Since my career path nearly led me intoEnglish Literature,I was horrified at my grammar. But Dolly was thrilled at the excitement and started doing little half twirls around the living room. I poured her kibble, and she pranced right over, the little delicious crunch noises a feast for my ears.
As I ate my vanilla crisp cereal and strawberry yogurt, I planned for the day. Today was vet day. My mind was ignoring the playdatelater, because for all I knew, it was strictly platonic and probably something that happened all the time in the dog world. My mind fired back, ‘Do you really think litter-mates parents meet all that often?’ It was a good thing only Jesus could hear my thoughts.
I reached for my devotional book and read today’s timely study titled ‘Hope for the Future.’ Its core takeaway was that God had written all our days in His book. There was nothing that had or will happen that He didn’t know about. Therefore, we shouldn’t worry about anything; just follow Him, and He will make our paths straight.
Dear Jesus,
I pray for your will in my life. I trust that no matter what, You are with me and there is nothing to fear or worry about. I cast my anxieties on you, Lord, just as you said in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
In your name,
Amen
The moment I ended my prayer, I heard a squeaky toy activate, and I laughed at Dolly’s timing. “Oh, is it time to play now?” The joy overflowed from me, and I felt the Holy Spirit wash over me. The last few days were proving that life with adog was very enjoyable and not something to fear.
“This is fun, Dolly. Now let’s see if you can fetch?”
I softly tossed a toy a few inches from her, and she took the bait, pouncing on it and giving it a big chew before shoving it as far as it could go into her mouth. She ran off with it, hiding under the futon, and the toy would squeak every few seconds, a signal she was still playing and having a great time.
“Okay, Dolly. You get that squeaker!”
It was time for my shower and to get ready for the day. My heart skipped a beat thinking about what I would wear since it was raining. That gray raincoat I bought at a super sale last year couldn’t be worn again. The color, or lack thereof, drained every bit of life from my hair and cheeks and didn’t do any justice to my face. While showering, an idea came to me. Last week I saw a pink raincoat by a brand I recognized in the department store window. I wondered if it was still there.
Putting my hair up in a towel, I traipsed out to the living room in my plush bathrobe.
“Virtual assistant: Is the RainGearX Pink Slicker in stock at Norlands in a size… Medium?”
“Logging into your Norlands account.” The robotic voice paused.“They have the merchandise you requested. Shall I set up a curbside pickup at the earliest time available?”I let out a sigh of relief.
“Yes. Thank you.” I realized I didn’t have to thank my robot, butmanners mattered.
“What a relief to know I won’t look dead,” I told Dolly as I dressed in a black turtleneck and skinny jeans with thick socks and pulled the black muck boots out of the back of my closet, running them over to the door mat. I ran back to my closet, quickly doing my makeup routine, blow drying my hair, and using an anti-frizz serum liberally. I styled it into a half-updo, securing it with a few pins. This wasn’t a gala. This was a rainy day at the dog park, where there would be plenty of landmines to step in, I reminded myself.
But there was still something missing. Hesitantly opening the jewelry boxthat sat on the shelf, I picked out a pair of pink jewel earrings and put on my rose-gold watch. A little fancy for the Bark Park I decided, but I didn’t care. It made me feel polished.
Dolly perked up when I waltzed back into the living area, as if she agreed,you look good.
“Your pickup is scheduled for 10:45 am. I’ve sent the details to your email.”
The robot voice made Dolly’s ears pick up slightly this time, but it made me jump since I wasn’t expecting it. “Thanks!” I called out. That gave me exactly enough time to get to the vet early for the pet insurance sign-up.
I looked at my watch. We still had about ten minutes till we had to leave, and I went through Dolly’s bin of accessories to get her ready for the day. I remembered my mother sending that package. I peeked out the door, and sure enough, it was on the porch.
