Elizabeth Wrenn - Second Chance

Though I was part of the latter group, I was compelled to watch the former, knowing that that would be me in a year. The teen boy was now kneeling on the ground, in the snow, his Lab eagerly licking the tears off his scarred cheeks. A smile slipped over the boy’s face, his chin up, head turning left then right, tanning evenly in the rays of canine love.

The roar of an engine gearing down suddenly turned the group’s attention, en masse, to the street. A white motor home with a green K-9 Eyes logo was rumbling toward us. I glanced at the 7-Eleven – still no sign of Lainey and Matt.

Expectant silence fell over the group as we watched the truck slow, then turn in to the lot. A little girl in the crowd began to clap her mittened hands, jumping with excitement. My stomach was doing a similar move. As the vehicle parked, I stole a glance at the boy. He had his arms possessively around the Lab’s neck, his head on the other side of the dog, shielding himself from the view of the motor home.

The door opened, a cheery woman of about sixty emerged, standing on the high step of the motor home. ‘Hey, ya’ll!’ She waved her arm over her head, her apple cheeks pushing up into her sparkling eyes. She was small, but strong and sturdy-looking, her short, curly blonde hair liberally sprinkled with gray. ‘Come on, everyone, scooch in! We’ll keep each other warm! And that way I won’t have to shout,’ she yelled in a voice that could carry halfway to Nebraska. As most of the crowd compressed toward her obediently, I got the feeling even the biggest male German shepherd wouldn’t mess with this woman. I also got the feeling that same dog would adore her.

‘I’m Josie!’ She nodded around to the group. ‘I know you folks are anxious to get going, so here’s how we’re gonna do this. We’ll start with the pups, then collect the big guys. When I call your name, step right up, take your pup and papers, then clear right out, please.’ She grinned, and disappeared into the truck.

I scanned again for Matt and Lainey. They were probably looking at magazines.

‘I think I should go get my kids,’ I said, turning.

Bill put a hand lightly on my sleeve. ‘No, you need to stay here, in case you’re called. They’re big kids. They’ll keep an eye out.’ But I doubted they would. They would expect me to let them know that the truck had arrived.

Josie emerged again, this time carrying a sleepy-looking yellow Lab puppy. My heart raced. Matt and Lainey were on their own. This might be my dog!

Bill had assured me that many people requested a specific breed or gender for all kinds of reasons. K-9 Eyes tried to meet the requests, although it was never guaranteed. I suspected he knew my request was based on housekeeping; the yellow hair wouldn’t show as much on my tan tile and oak floors. I hoped he hadn’t guessed that I’d requested a spayed female because I figured she and I would have something in common right from the start.

‘Covington!’ Josie called out. Okay. Not me. I let out a shaky breath, unaware that I’d had it trapped in my lungs. A couple about my age stepped forward, the man receiving the puppy. ‘This is Amaranth,’ said Josie. ‘Here’s your packet.’ The man and woman burst out laughing, but immediately headed back through the crowd, the woman linking arms with her husband and stroking the puppy’s head.

Amaranth? What a name for a little pup. Or even a dog. I knew the puppies arrived with names and the names must be honored, but … Amaranth ?

‘Marris?’ This time she stood on the step holding a German shepherd puppy that appeared to be two-thirds ears. ‘He looks like a little donkey,’ I whispered to Bill, and we both laughed quietly. The pup gazed at the crowd, more than a little fear evident in his sweet, brown eyes. No one was stepping up to claim him, and I felt myself leaning forward, wanting to gather him up in my arms and reassure him.

‘ Marris? ’ Josie repeated, even louder.

‘Oh! Golly! That’s me!’ said Bill, lightly touching his forehead and striding to the front. He called to Josie, ‘I’m picking up the pup for Jeannie Marris. She’s at her niece’s wedding this weekend.’

‘Hey, Bill! How are ya?’ said Josie. ‘Say hey to Jeannie for me. This is Donald.’

I lifted my purse in front of my face and giggled into the leather wall. Donald. Donnie. It just sounded too much like donkey. But once that shepherd grew, I figured no one would laugh at his name. Or his ears.

I looked over my shoulder. Still no sign of Matt and Lainey.

‘Munger?’

My heart banged into my sternum. I spun back around. Bill was working his way through the crowd, grinning at me. Josie was standing on the step, searching the crowd. In her arms was a perfect, petite yellow Lab pup, her soft eyes barely open in the bright sun, the tip of her tiny perfect tail poking out from under Josie’s elbow.

‘ Munger! Listen up, people!’

‘Me! Here!’ I called, raising my huge purse above my head. I quickly pulled it back down, feeling the red fill my face. This is not an auction, Deena! I slung my purse back over my shoulder and worked my way through the smiling, parting crowd.

I stood in front of her, my heart still pounding, but at the same time some sort of rigor mortis setting up in me. Josie slipped the warm ball into my stiff but cradling arms. ‘This is Heloise. Here’s your packet.’ She tucked it firmly under my arm, and I struggled to hold puppy, purse, and packet.

Time stopped as I gazed into the puppy’s shining brown eyes. Her tan eyebrows lifted, her small forehead wrinkling skin that was at least a size too big for her face. Her perfect triangular ears lifted too as she gazed up at me. Her eyes were rimmed in thick black – like puppy eyeliner. I put my cheek against her head, so soft and warm. She licked my chin eagerly, her sweet puppy breath filling my senses. If this were a movie, I thought, this is where everything would go into slow motion and a symphony would swell and crescendo. Then the camera would pull in tight on my face, then tight on—

Werrrrittt! The needle pulled across the record in my mind.

Did she say Heloise? I looked at the writing on the top of my packet protruding from under my arm. Munger/Heloise.

That was a name for a Holstein, not a dog. I’m goin’ out to milk Heloise, Pa!

‘Step back, please,’ said Josie firmly, but not unkindly. She smiled at what must have been a slightly stupefied expression on my face. I turned and merged back into the crowd. I searched for Bill, and found him leaning against his car. And hurrying across the street were Matt and Lainey, each with a cup of cocoa in one hand and a magazine in the other. The packet was slipping out from under my arm. Despite the temperature, sweat was running into my eyes.

I started walking across the large parking lot to meet the kids halfway, but turned, instead walking in Bill’s direction. I glanced back; the kids looked momentarily stunned, then they too veered toward Bill’s car.

He was smiling at me. I could feel an absurdly large grin on my own face. Bill was holding Donald in the crook of one arm, rubbing a knuckle behind one of his huge ears. I deeply inhaled and exhaled, again not realizing I’d been holding my breath. If I was going to succeed at this, or even survive it, I’d better learn to breathe. I looked at my furry baby, held securely in my down coat arms, lowered my face to hers, and again breathed in her sweet puppy scent. Heloise . Now that I thought about it, it was a lovely name.

‘Mom! Why didn’t you come get us?’ Lainey demanded, breaking into my puppy reverie.

I saw Bill study her, then glance at me.

‘Well, honey, they called my name. Look, this is Heloise.’ I pronounced the name carefully, Hell-oh-wheeze.