It was dark inside the cardboard box, with just a little ambient light shining from the twelve round air holes near the top. The young earthling boy tried to stand, but the box was too short. And besides, it was wobbling so much that he kept falling back down.

Zira cooed into the box with a sugary voice, “Are you ready to see your new home?”

The boy saw her large green eyes peering in, sliding from air hole to air hole. She poked her giant finger inside and waggled it about. He was too nervous to answer, but he was excited. He had just met Zira not long ago at the pet store, when she picked him out of all the other earthling kids in the pet pen. She had such a friendly face he already liked her, and he was eager to see his new home.

Finally, after much bumping, the box was still. Zira had set it on the family room carpet.

“Ready to come out now?” she asked sweetly.

He shifted his weight and prepared himself. “Okay, ready.”

The two panels of the box roof opened upward. He squinted in the sudden brightness and tried to view the room. But before he could get oriented, Zira’s giant hands reached toward him, scooped him out of the carrier box, and squeezed him against her chest.

“Here we are,” she said cheerily, with an especially wide smile stretched across her face.

She plopped down on the carpet, and Riffa and Lazro kneeled close by. Riffa leaned even closer and cooed, “Hello there,” as she reached out and ruffled his hair with her finger. “Can I hold him?”

Lazro said, “Let him get settled first.”

All three of their giant heads were so close to the boy, staring with their giant eyes and breathing with their blorxling breath. He felt a bit intimidated.

Lazro suggested, “Why don’t you let him walk around and explore?”

Their mom passed by at that moment, reorganizing her purse again. She stopped and nagged, “Make sure he doesn’t pee on the carpet!”

“Mommm,” groaned Zira, “he’s already potty trained!”

“Don’t worry, Mom,” said Lazro. “I’ll watch them.”

She gave them a worried look, then, with a raised eyebrow and a shake of her head, she conceded and retreated from the room.

Zira gently set the boy down on the carpet.

He gazed in every direction. It was so different, he thought, not quite like what he had imagined a home would look like. And it smelled different, too, not like the pet store.

“Oh wait!” Zira jumped up, grabbed a shopping bag, and plopped down again so close to him that he was afraid she might crush him. “Look, here’s your new toys!” She pulled out a bucket of squeaky balls, plastic dinovores, building blocks, and puzzles and poured them at his feet. Then she pulled out some clothes and held them up to him. “And here’s a new outfit for you. And a blue one. And a green one.” She tossed them on the floor. “And here’s your brush.” She rubbed it on his hair. “And this is your harness. And your leash. And your toothbrush.” She tossed those too. “And here’s your food bowl!”

He never had his own food bowl before.

Lazro asked, “What are you going to name him?”

“How about Bloogy?” suggested Riffa. “Or Mr. Frupples?”

Zira giggled.

The pet store had named him Durgur, which he did not like, so he was eager to get a new name.

Zira lifted him up and held him out with both hands to get a good look at him. Nervously, he estimated the distance to the floor so far below, but he trusted her. She peered at his little arms and legs, his little belly, his chubby cheeks and black head-fur, and his smiling brown eyes. “I’ll name him …” She thought carefully. “Rolo!”

He liked that. Rolo. It suited him.

···

Later, Zira, Riffa, and Lazro led Rolo on an expedition through all the rooms in their house. When it was dinner time, he got to try his new food in his new bowl. Then he got to try his new litter box. (Blorxian homes don’t have pet-sized toilets.)

At the end of the night, Zira brushed his teeth, which he did not like. Then she tucked him into a little round pet bed in the corner of her room. He did not like that either.

“Can’t I sleep in your bed?” he asked.

“I wish. But Mom was afraid I’d roll over on you, or you’d fall out or something. But I can see you here from my pillow. Okay, g’night.” She kissed him on the head. “Don’t let the earthworms bite.”

“What?!” No one had warned him about the worms.

“Oh, never mind.” She giggled. “That’s just something we say. I don’t know why. G’night.”

Then she turned off the light and lay down in her bed.

Rolo tried to sleep, but he just rolled from side to side, onto his belly, and onto his back, over and over. An hour passed. It was too quiet. No yips, squeaks, or squeals from the other animals in the pet store—only a slight whistling noise from Zira’s nose. And he wasn’t huddled with other earthling kids sleeping in a pile. He felt lonely for the first time. So he got up and climbed the corner of her bed, then curled up against her warm chest. While still asleep, she wrapped her arm over him.

Rolo was home.