{ 13 }
“This is the best Christmas ever,” Sadie announced to the assembled people gathered around Trish Gardiner’s dinner table. She was wearing the pink and purple necklace that Erin had made her, as well as the sparkly nail polish, also from Erin. But it was clearly the black and white bundle of soft fur that had caused her outburst.
Erin and Jared exchanged glances. Maybe this wasn’t her best Christmas ever, but she realized it was right up there. Jared and Trish had gone out of their way to make her feel welcome, introducing the aunts and uncles and cousins who lived in the area and who had all come for turkey dinner and all the trimmings.
She couldn’t believe that after fleeing across the country to get away from a family holiday, she was so enjoying being in the middle of one. She thought her contentment had a lot to do with the fact that she and Jared and Sadie had spent a lot of time together in the past few days, playing in the snow, walking the dog, and even watching a kids’ holiday movie with popcorn and hot chocolate.
Her poor, battered heart was healing. Enough that she was beginning to risk losing it again.
“Can the puppy sleep on my bed tonight?” Sadie asked in her most angelic voice.
“You know the rule. Puppy has to sleep in his bed, down here.”
Aunt Merle, with a forkful of mashed potato half way to her lips, said, “Haven’t you named the dog yet?”
“We’re still deciding,” Jared informed her. Sadie had proposed and rejected about a dozen names, from Blackie to Bingo to Firefly, none of them suiting her fancy. The adults had thrown out plenty more names for her to choose. Erin was beginning to believe the poor dog would go through its entire life being called Puppy.
“You can’t have a dog without a name.”
Merle’s husband, Uncle Bud, glanced up from his third helping of turkey. Looked at Erin and Jared and said, “You ask me, that dog should be called Cupid.”
Jared held out his hand and took Erin’s hand in his. Trish smiled mistily at them both. “Cupid is about the most perfect name for a dog who brought two people together. What do you think, Sadie?”
“Mom, he’s kidding,” Jared said hastily.
Sadie called to the dog, “Cupid?”
His ears went up and he uncurled himself and trotted to her side. She gurgled with laughter. “He’s such a smart dog. He knows his name already.”
Jared glanced at Erin in helpless horror as Sadie jumped off her chair and dropped to the floor in front of the dog.
“Merry Christmas, Cupid.” She wrapped her arms around the puppy.
The black and white tail thumped the ground.
{ The End }