“She showed up here,” Janie was saying in her meek voice. Before, I thought Janie’s voice useless, simply because it wasn’t bold. But useful isn’t always bold. That was a mistake, to think that. Mistakes taste humble like dry dog food. “We don’t normally get dogs who wander right up on us, but this one sure did.”
Katima nods. I did. I followed your scent all the way here, Mama.
I lick her face. It tastes like sweet candy sprinkle love. Smart girl.
Alex stoops, looks Katima in the eye.
He’s harmless, I tell her. A dullard, but harmless.
She sits tall on her rump, anxious to make a good impression. That’s my girl.
“Hmmm,” Alex says. He sneaks a hand forward, turns Katima’s jaw back and forth. “This is one good-looking dog.”
Like mother, like daughter, I say, and Katima and I both laugh with our tails.
“She’s healthy and smart,” he adds.
You are as right as a ball bounce, Onion Alex, I think to myself. I love you and your poop-scooping and your caramel squeals and your kitty litter protests because you see beauty here.
Micah’s heart zooms. He looks to his dad. “What do you think?”
Colonel Victor grunts into a squat. He looks deep into Katima’s eyes, then to me.
“Is this the one, Miss Daisy? Is this my new service dog?”
I fully realize what I’m doing: I’m sacrificing my position as Colonel Victor’s tool for Katima. I will go into the cage and she will come out. She will become his service dog. I will become the useless dog. He wants a different dog, not another dog. It is the right choice. I would do it again and again and again.
I bark. Yes, sir!
If I could salute, I would.
The Colonel groans back to standing. “She’s the one.”
Micah clears his dry throat. He steps forward, and I recognize his bravery stance. It reminds me of a flagpole, strong and straight. “But we’re keeping them both, right? I mean, look at them! We can’t separate them now!”
His voice teeters on the edge of teary. Saltwater waves beneath his strength. And then he does it. He squats and hugs me, tight like fur. His heartbeat and mine, singing the same song.
I hold my breath like a windless day.
The Colonel pauses. Pauses feel like stopped time.
Colonel Victor eyes Micah, hugging me. He cocks his head. And for maybe the first time, he hears. He hears the heart song. He smiles.
“Looks like we’re adding another dog to our pack.”
I am so yellow-sunshine full of joy, I feel I might burst. I plop my booty right down on the large gray welcome mat and give myself a long, satisfying butt scootch. My pack—plus one!—laughs rainbows. Full, glorious, rain-spun-into-sunshine rainbows.