Not only because we’re going to be shocking the hell out of our daughter, but also because I did this with Ella.
No matter what our differences may have been or still are, we came together as a team, made a great parenting decision, and we’re doing this for Lucy as a family unit. That means more to me than anything.
I glance over at the little wire kennel the service dog foundation gave me to transport him in. It’s a sweet, twelve-week-old chocolate lab named Brody. He’s pretty chill, curled into a round ball, but he’s not sleeping. Eyes open and alert, as if he’s just waiting to find out what’s around the next corner.
The back of my Range Rover is loaded with two boxes of food, dog toys, bowls, a leash, and appropriate treats. That will go to my house for when Lucy and Brody come to stay. Ella has an identical list at her home, already purchased and hiding until we hand the puppy off to Lucy.
Have to admit… today was fun. I had team meetings and light practice. Throughout the day, Ella and I texted back and forth. Some of it was practical, like making sure we agreed on all the dog rules we’d lay down with Lucy tonight. Some of it was lighthearted teasing. Some of it was sexy.
I can’t remember the last time I texted my wife throughout the day just for the hell of it. I had fun with it, and I know without a doubt she had fun with it, too. Which made me realize what a douche I’d been for never doing something as simple as letting her know she was on my mind in just such a way.
I make a mental note to send her flowers tomorrow—just for the hell of it. I’m going for a quick overnight trip as we play the Vegas Spades, and I want to let her know she’ll be on my mind.
Pulling into the driveway, I cut my headlights so Lucy doesn’t see me approach. I shut the engine off, quietly get out of my side, and press the door closed rather than slamming it. On the other side, I open the passenger door, then spring the latch on the wire kennel, and Brody totters straight at me with tail wagging.
I lift him in my arms, hoping like hell the Claritin I took will keep my sneezing and watery eyes at bay. Quietly, I shut the door and then move over to a small patch of grass to the right of the driveway. I place the puppy down so he will go potty before I bring him in.
Never having had a dog before, I had no clue what it takes to raise one. The people at the service dog foundation were helpful, though, spending about an hour with me today when I picked Brody up to explain exactly how we would care for him the next two weeks, which included potty training tips.
I patiently wait for him to do his business, which includes a few minutes where he attacks my shoelaces and tugs. Fuck, he’s cute.
Eventually, he sniffs around, tail high, and then abruptly squats to pee. I thought boy dogs lifted their legs, but maybe not at this age. As instructed, I immediately bend and give him extreme praise with an upbeat, positive tone that makes him excited. He puts his paws up on my shin, accepting my scratches with tail wagging and tongue lolling out the side of his head. Lucy is going to fall in love with this guy.
Our pre-meeting business done, I scoop Brody up in my arms and make my way to the sidewalk. The kitchen is at the front of the house, so I can see through a peek in the curtains over the sink that Ella is at the kitchen island with Lucy on the opposite side. My heart starts beating faster at the thought of spending the evening with my girls—and apparently the new boy in my arms—and I find it almost shameful I have such excitement over it. Shouldn’t I have always been this excited? Or is it normal for things to just settle, and we take them for granted?
I don’t know the answer to that, but instead, choose to just revel in the excitement I have right now.
At the door, I give it a few solid knocks and as planned, Ella will tell Lucy to answer it.
In moments, it’s swinging open. I get a flash of Ella