Chapter Fifty-Three: The Puppy
The idea came from Lily, as most chaotic ideas did.
"Mama," she said one morning, "I want a puppy."
Lina was making breakfast. She did not look up. "We've talked about this, sweetheart. Puppies are a lot of work."
"I'll do the work."
"You're six years old."
"I'm responsible."
Lina looked at her daughter—flour on her shirt, syrup in her hair, a determined expression on her face.
"Let me think about it," Lina said.
Lily nodded.
She ran off to tell Leo the good news.
---
Leo was less enthusiastic.
"A puppy is a lot of work," he said.
"I know," Lily replied.
"It will need walks. And food. And attention."
"I know."
"It might chew on your stuffed animals."
Lily gasped. "Snowball?"
"Snowball."
Lily was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "I still want a puppy."
Leo sighed. "Fine. But I'm not walking it."
"You're walking it."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Leo looked at Lina. "Mama, tell her I'm not walking the puppy."
Lina held up her hands. "I'm staying out of this."
Leo sighed again.
Lily cheered.
The puppy debate began.
---
Lina talked to Ethan that night.
"Lily wants a puppy," she said.
Ethan looked up from his book. "A puppy?"
"A puppy."
"What kind of puppy?"
"I don't know. She didn't specify."
Ethan was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I've always wanted a dog."
Lina blinked. "You have?"
"When I was a kid. My mother was allergic. We could never have one."
Lina looked at him. "You want a puppy?"
Ethan smiled. "I want a puppy."
Lina sighed. "Fine. We'll get a puppy."
Ethan kissed her.
"You're the best wife," he said.
"I know," Lina replied.
---
The search for the perfect puppy took weeks.
Lily wanted a golden retriever. Leo wanted a cat (which was not a puppy). Ethan wanted a rescue. Lina wanted something small and quiet and unlikely to destroy the furniture.
They compromised on a medium-sized rescue mutt with floppy ears and a tail that wagged constantly.
Lily named her Sprinkles.
Leo called her "the canine."
Ethan called her "perfect."
Lina called her "a lot of work."
Sprinkles wagged her tail.
She was home.
---
The first few weeks were chaos.
Sprinkles chewed shoes. Sprinkles chewed furniture. Sprinkles chewed Snowball's ear (Lily cried for an hour). She barked at nothing. She ran in circles. She refused to be housebroken.
"I told you," Leo said.
"You did not," Lily replied.
"I did."
"You did not."
"I did."
Lina intervened. "It doesn't matter who told who. We have a puppy. We're keeping the puppy. We're training the puppy."
The twins nodded.
Sprinkles wagged her tail.
She had no idea what she had done.
---
Lina hired a trainer.
Her name was Denise (not the same Denise from Victoria's past). She was patient and kind and had a way with animals that Lina envied.
"Puppies are like toddlers," Denise said. "They need structure. They need boundaries. They need love."
Lina nodded. "I can do that."
"You already did it. With the twins."
Lina looked at her children—Lily, running around the yard with Sprinkles; Leo, taking notes on the dog's behavior.
"I guess I did," she said.
Denise smiled.
"Then you can do this too," she said.
---
Sprinkles learned.
She stopped chewing shoes. She stopped chewing furniture. She stopped chewing Snowball (Lily kept the rabbit on a high shelf, just in case). She learned to sit. She learned to stay. She learned to come when called.
Lily was thrilled.
"I told you," she said.
"You did not," Leo replied.
"I did."
"You did not."
"I did."
Lina sighed.
Sprinkles wagged her tail.
Some things never changed.
---
The First Walk
Lina took Sprinkles for her first walk around the neighborhood.
The dog pulled on the leash. She barked at squirrels. She tried to chase a car. Lina held on, her arms aching, her patience thin.
"You're a lot of work," she said to Sprinkles.
Sprinkles wagged her tail.
"You're lucky you're cute."
Sprinkles wagged her tail harder.
Lina laughed.
She walked on.
---
The Bond
Sprinkles chose Lily.
It was obvious from the beginning. The dog followed her everywhere. She slept on Lily's bed. She waited by the door for Lily to come home from school. She licked Lily's face when Lily cried.
"I love her," Lily said.
"I know," Lina replied.
"She loves me too."
"I know."
Lily looked at her mother. "Thank you for letting me have her."
Lina pulled her into her arms.
"Thank you for being responsible," she said.
Lily hugged her back.
"I'm trying," she said.
Lina smiled.
"That's all any of us can do," she said.
---
The Chaos
The penthouse was louder now.
Sprinkles barked. The twins argued. Ethan burned dinner. Lina juggled work and school and the endless demands of a household that never stopped.
But it was home.
Chaotic and loud and wonderful.
Lina stood in the kitchen, watching her family—Lily, playing with Sprinkles; Leo, reading a book; Ethan, making a mess of dinner.
"I love you," she said.
No one heard her.
But that was okay.
She knew.
They knew.
That was enough.
---
End of Chapter Fifty-Three