Tommy offered to stay behind at the shelter to feed the other animals while Mrs. Alvarez and Quinn took Buddy to Charlie’s house. It was late afternoon, and the sun had just started to set. Quinn knew that the days would get longer and lighter soon, now that they’d passed the winter solstice. But for now, it was still dark well before dinnertime.

Buddy knew that this was no ordinary day. Quinn held tightly to his leash as they walked through the parking lot to Mrs. Alvarez’s car. There was definitely an extra spring in Buddy’s step; he was almost prancing, sniffing eagerly at the air and looking in every direction.

“Ready for a ride?” Quinn asked as she opened the car door for Buddy. She slid in after him, buckled her seat belt, and put her arm reassuringly on Buddy’s back. She could hardly believe that the moment was here at last: Buddy’s adoption! After all those weeks of wondering and worrying, things were happening faster than Quinn had ever expected. She couldn’t imagine what the shelter would be like without Buddy there to greet her every day. She could already tell she was going to miss him.

Ms. Ferrino and Charlie lived only a few blocks from the shelter. Maybe, Quinn thought, they’ll let me come visit Buddy once in a while. Mrs. Alvarez pulled up in front of a small brick house. Quinn grinned when she saw the fence around the perimeter of the yard. It was the perfect yard for a dog; Quinn could just picture Buddy and Charlie playing Frisbee in the springtime… splashing in a wading pool in the summer… and jumping in leaf piles all fall.

It was going to be the life Buddy had always deserved.

“Here we are,” Mrs. Alvarez said.

“Okay, Buddy,” Quinn said, with a strange feeling of finality. “This is it! Ready to see your new home… and your favorite boy?”

Thump-thump-thump!

Quinn wrapped Buddy’s leash around her hand, then opened the car door. She could see a Christmas tree gleaming with lights in the front window; there was a festive wreath on the door.

Buddy trotted along next to Quinn as they approached the front door. On the doorstep, she paused to straighten Buddy’s Santa hat and adjust his bow. Then, impulsively, she reached down to give him one more giant hug.

“You’re the best dog,” she whispered near his ear. “Merry Christmas, Buddy.”

Then Quinn reached out and pressed the doorbell with her gloved finger.

Ding-dong!

Quinn’s heart was pounding so much that she thought it might drown out the thumping of Buddy’s tail.

“Mom! Somebody’s here!” Charlie’s voice was muffled by the door.

Quinn squeezed Buddy’s leash in anticipation. This was it—this was the moment—

The door began to open, spilling warmth and light onto the doorstep. Charlie was standing there, with Ms. Ferrino behind him. Already her eyes were brimming with happy tears. But it was Charlie’s face—and his wide, wondering eyes—that captured Quinn’s full attention.

“Merry Christmas!” Quinn cried. She held out the leash to Charlie.

Charlie still didn’t quite comprehend what was happening. It was too impossible to believe. He looked from Buddy to Quinn to his mom and back to Quinn.

“Buddy—” he began, unsure.

“Belongs to you,” Quinn said. “He’s your dog now. Forever and ever.”

“But—” Charlie said. He glanced back at his mom, still unsure.

Ms. Ferrino kissed the top of his head and said, “Merry Christmas!”

And that was when Charlie really and truly understood. He lunged toward Buddy; at the same time, Buddy leaped up and put his paws on Charlie’s shoulders. As Charlie staggered backward, Ms. Ferrino caught him, and then the three of them tumbled onto the floor, a noisy, happy mix of laughter and barking and Buddy’s tail—always!—going thump-thump-thump.

Their joy was overwhelming. It was infectious. It was as warm and wonderful as the sun shining after a cold rain, and Quinn was inexpressibly grateful for the opportunity to stand on the front step and bask in it.

I’ll slip away now, she thought, taking a quiet step backward. She didn’t want to intrude on their special Christmas surprise. But before she could, Charlie looked over. He scrambled to his feet and gave Quinn a sudden, fierce hug.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for bringing Buddy to me.”

Quinn smiled down at him. “Thank you for being Buddy’s best friend,” she replied.

Then Charlie turned back to Buddy. “Come on, Buddy! You’ve gotta see my room!” he said. “You can sleep on my bed. My sheets are cool; they have trains and trucks.”

“How can I thank you, Quinn?” Ms. Ferrino asked. “You’ve given Charlie the greatest Christmas present ever. I’ll never be able to tell you how grateful I am.”

“No,” Quinn said quickly. “Thank you for adopting Buddy. I wanted him to have a home more than anything in the world.” And as she said the words, Quinn realized how true they were.

“I promise I’ll pay you back,” Ms. Ferrino told her. “Every penny, just as soon as I’ve finished school.”

But Quinn shook her head vehemently. “I wouldn’t accept it. Being here—seeing this—it’s payment enough.”

Mrs. Alvarez joined them then, carrying a large bag from the pet store. “Oof,” she said as she lowered it to the ground. “I don’t know how Santa does it!”

Everyone laughed as Ms. Ferrino and Quinn helped Mrs. Alvarez finish unloading her car. It seemed like Tommy had bought out the entire pet store!

“Please come in,” Ms. Ferrino said. “Would you like some cocoa and cookies?”

Mrs. Alvarez glanced at her watch. “I wish we could,” she said. “But Tommy’s waiting for me back at the shelter—and I want to drive Quinn home—”

“Of course—it’s Christmas Eve,” Ms. Ferrino replied. “You’ve got to get back to your own families. But maybe another time.”

“Definitely another time,” Quinn promised. “Merry Christmas, Ms. Ferrino!”

“Merry Christmas!” Ms. Ferrino called as Quinn and Mrs. Alvarez went back to the car.

Quinn was unusually quiet as Mrs. Alvarez drove her home. She stared out the car window at the night sky as the stars began to appear. Was it her imagination, or was one of them shining more brightly than the others? The longer Quinn looked, the more she believed that it was. And why shouldn’t it be? It was Christmas Eve, after all. And Quinn knew better than anyone that anything could happen at Christmastime. Quinn had been longing for a Christmas miracle—but what she hadn’t realized was that she had the power to make one happen.

“Merry Christmas,” Quinn told Mrs. Alvarez when they arrived. “Thank you for—for everything.”

“No, Quinn,” Mrs. Alvarez replied. “Thank you.”

Quinn climbed out of the car and looked up. That star really was shining brighter than the others—which didn’t surprise Quinn one bit.