When Henry had wakened from that dream about having someone all his own, he’d made a decision.
He was tired of being alone in the woods.
He was going to look for those girls.
They had been so nice to him, kissing him and petting him.
So he ran for hours through fields, across roads, and in and out of woods until he found what he was looking for.
The wrought-iron fence where the freckled girl had left him bowls of food.
He sniffed around the ferns and leaves and wild raspberries. He wandered in and out of the fragrant pines and shady sycamores.
But those girls were not there.
Then he remembered the little house where they had taken him. The one with the gray-haired man.
But he also remembered that that was where Roger had come to get him.
What if Roger came again?
But maybe this time something good would happen.
Maybe this time Roger wouldn’t come.
Maybe this time those girls would let him stay with them.
Henry had followed the same route as before, running along the fence and up the asphalt street to the little house beside the gate.
His heart had leaped with joy when he heard voices through the screen door.
Voices of those girls and the gray-haired man.
He scratched on the screen.
When they saw him, the girls squealed, “Henry!” They ran to the door and let him in and showered him with hugs and kisses.
Henry had never been showered with hugs and kisses before.
The old man said, “Jeekers! How in the heck did that dog get back here?”
“Please don’t call Wonderland,” the wild-haired girl said.
Then she put her hands together like she was praying and added, “Let’s keep him for a little while.”
The quiet girl said, “He’s so skinny! I bet he’s hungry.”
The old man heaved a big sigh and shuffled over to his desk. He took a paper bag out of a drawer and brought Henry a tuna fish sandwich.
Henry had never had a tuna fish sandwich before.
He gobbled it up, and then he put his head in the old man’s lap.
The old man put his hand on top of Henry’s head.
His hand was warm.
Henry let out a little whine of contentment and wagged his tail to say thank you.