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Better to have loved...

“'He’s as much of a mutt as they come...'"

By Jocelynn TaylorPublished 2 years ago 12 min read
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9

All her begging had finally paid off. Lily was turning ten on Thursday and, normally, there weren’t any big milestones for this birthday. But this one was different. Her mom and dad had been talking in whispers for a while now. They thought Lily didn’t know what it was about. Regardless, it wasn’t a big surprise when they pulled up to a big white brick building with a dog and cat painted on it. That didn’t stop her eyes from shining as she squealed and jumped out of the car. She waited by the door impatiently as her parents made their way through what must have been molasses with the pace they were going. Not willing to annoy them when she was so close, Lily bounced in place, but kept quiet. Her father looked resigned, but Lily’s mother was smiling in amusement.

Lily knew that interrupting was rude. You were only supposed to interrupt someone when it was an emergency. You wait your turn to speak, so that everyone gets a chance to speak. But Lily wasn’t thinking about that. The lady at the front asked how she could help when they opened the door and Lily couldn’t help but burst out, “We’re getting a doggy!”

The lady laughed. “Then I won’t keep you any longer. Follow me.”

The adults were still talking, but Lily wasn’t listening. When the door to the dog room was opened, Lily got tunnel vision. There were a little over a dozen full cages. It was pretty loud, but LIly didn’t care. The dogs had come to the front of their cages to see the people. There were big and small dogs with all kinds of fur color and length.

“-ly. Lily!” The girl started and looked at her mother. “You need to listen to Jennifer if you want to see the dogs.”

Lily turned her gaze to the lady and gave a small smile. “Hi Lily. Your parents said that this is going to be your dog?” Lily nodded excitedly. “Wonderful. Do you know what kind of dog you want? Big, small?”

“I don’t care. Mom said that I’ll know the right dog when I meet it.”

“Your mom is very smart. Alright, when you meet the dogs, don’t put your hand in the kennel, just press the back of your hand against the links so the dogs can sniff you. If you want to take any dogs out, we have leashes and a fenced yard in the back. Any questions?” Lily quickly shook her head no, practically vibrating with excitement.

With that, the tour began. They avoided some dogs who didn’t get along with children very well. Lily made sure to ask every dog’s name, and what they were like. When they were done, Lily wandered through the kennels. About halfway down the aisle was a dog named Ranger. Jennifer said that he was 8 months old and had come in as a stray. He was on the skinny side and had a greasy coat. She said he was very kind, and good with other dogs.

But he was sad, Jennifer had said. He wasn’t used to spending days on end in a kennel. Even though he was dirty, Lily thought he was a gorgeous dog. He was light brown at his paws and got darker until it hit a black stripe down his back. His fur was short but very thick and fluffy. His tail curled slightly when he stood to say hi to Lily. He had a white muzzle and a white stripe that went up his forehead, surrounded by the same soft brown as his legs. His eyes were also brown, and it all contrasted nicely with his black, not quite standing, ears.

“Can we take him out to the yard?” Lily asked, never looking away from Ranger. Jennifer took the slip lead she had and led them all outside. She explained that he was a shepherd mix, so he would shed a lot. Lily’s mom asked about what he was mixed with, and Jennifer just shrugged her shoulders. “He’s as much of a mutt as they come. We only know the shepherd because of his fur and size.”

Lily’s mom asked a few more questions (how big will he get? About 70 pounds. Does he need a vet check soon? Yes, but just for a regular check-up.), but Lily wasn’t listening. Ranger had been let off his leash and was playing with Lily and a tug toy. Being outside helped him to perk up. His tail was wagging, and his ears were doing their best to stand up.

A good pull from Ranger had the toy slipping from Lily’s hands. The momentum had her fall back and hit the ground. Ranger just trotted over, still holding his toy, and laid his head on Lily’s lap to chew on the rope toy. Lily looked over at the adults, who were smiling at the scene before them.

Lily smiled back. “I want him.”

10

Training a dog was hard.

A month had gone by, and he was finally completely potty-trained. They quickly figured out Ranger responded best to all types of food. And he and Lily were inseparable. Her parents had worried that the allure of a new animal would wear off, and Lily wouldn't be interested in doing everything she needed to with Ranger. If anything, though, she got more attentive.

When Lily was home from school, Ranger trotted dutifully at her heels or laid out at her feet when she was doing homework. She was begrudging when she picked up after him but did it (after a few reminders). One of her favorite things to do was sneak Ranger scraps under the table, giggling when he licked her fingers to get every morsel. Her parents tried to chastise her for it, and would continue trying, but it seemed pretty useless. She was getting better at not getting caught, anyway.

At the end of the day, after dinner was done and Lily had done her homework, Lily’s mom peeked into her daughter’s room, noticing the light was still on despite the late hour. She smiles at the scene before her. Lily was laying backwards on top of her covers, clothes still on. Ranger was lying parallel to her legs with his chin on her back. When he saw [Mom], his tongue rolled out of his mouth he smiled, and his tail started thumping against the blankets.

Flipping off the light, Lily’s mom gently closed the door, not bothering to put Ranger in his wide-open kennel.

13

“This is so stupid, you never let me do anything!”

“Lily, you already knew what the answer would be. It’s a school night, the movie is going way too late.”

“It’s one time mom, it's not going to kill me. Or you.”

Her mother pinned her with a glare. “Lily. You aren’t going. Don’t argue with me.”

Lily glared back and defiantly stomped her foot. “Ugh! You are ruining my life! I hate you!”

The words had the desired effect. Her mom stopped, shocked, and stared at Lily. Still fuming, Lily dashed up to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. She threw herself on the bed, and Ranger jumped out of her way.

Red in the face, Lily started ranting to the dog about the unfairness of the entire situation. The stress and emotion made itself known by tears rapidly rolling down her cheeks. Ranger got back on the bed and curled up next to Lily, licking the tears off her face.

When she finally calmed down, she felt horrible. She hadn’t meant the horrible words she’d said but it would be almost worse at this point to suck it up and apologize. The look on her mom’s face was painful to even think about. Lily had never said anything like that before, even when she was little. She was still mad about the movie. She really didn’t think it was fair. But it didn’t justify the response Lily gave her.

She might as well have had her tail between her legs as she slunk out of her room. She had her hand on Ranger’s scruff as he walked next to her. Timidly, Lily knocked on her mother’s door before walking in. Her mom still looked really upset when Lily and Ranger came in. Lily looked to the ground.

“I didn’t mean it. I was upset, but I didn’t- I didn't mean it.” When Lily finally looked up, her mom’s eyes had softened. She motioned with her head for Lily to come over.

Her mom hugged her daughter tight as Lily started crying again. Not to be outdone, Ranger pushed his way in between the two, so he could sprawl across their laps as Lily’s mother gently assured her unconditional forgiveness.

15

The blood was rushing to every part of Lily. Every part of her body seemed hypersensitive, feeling the beat of the asphalt charging up her body with every step. At the same time, Lily had tunnel vision. Despite her heightened senses, the only thing she saw was the road ahead. Next to Lily, Ranger ran with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Every weekday morning, they went out and ran as much as Lily could handle. She was determined to make the team this year and Ranger had been getting bored, and a little destructive, lately. It was a great way for the two to expend their energy and get results.

Even if Lily regretted the new habit when Ranger woke her up to go run at 5 in the morning on a Saturday.

18

Lily sat down on her new (for her, at least) couch and looked around. It was her first time living on her own and it was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. On the one hand, she had total freedom for the first time ever. On the other hand, she had total freedom, and no one to walk her through every step of it. She still had a few things left to unpack but they weren’t urgent. She had the whole weekend to get stuff done before her classes started the following Monday. Ranger jumped up on the couch with her, chew toy grasped securely in his jaws. She petted his back and smiled. They’d be fine.

21

The mantle above their new fireplace had three pictures proudly displayed. On the right was Ranger and his new corgi sister, Bridgette. They were both giving their best doggy smiles to the camera. Ranger had a sea green tie in place of his collar as he sat next to the tricolor corgi. Bridgette had a matching bow on her ear and had her head cocked, looking as if she was trying to figure out just what the camera was for.

On the right was a picture of 6 people, three men and three women. Lily stood in the middle with Daniel. Lily was wearing a beautiful white dress, delicate beading on the neckline, and had her hair and makeup done perfectly. Daniel stood next to her wearing the same shade of sea green tie as the dogs. Behind each of them were their parents. Daniel’s parents had their hands on each of his shoulders, while Lily’s parents both had their arms wrapped around her. All of them sported huge smiles, of pride from the parents, and lovestruck from the younger couple.

And the picture in the middle was of the ceremony and the largest of the set. Lily and Daniel were facing each other, holding hands and smiling brightly. The officiator stood behind them, smiling gently. At their feet, were Ranger and Bridgette, the proud ring-bearer and flower girl, respectively. They were looking up at their parents while members of the wedding party were holding their leash.

24

Lily walked into her house feeling completely numb. She had been like this for hours, ever since she had had to make the decision. She had said a quiet good-bye, stroking his ears the entire time. Lily had whispered to him, so that he wouldn’t feel alone. The room had been warm, and he had his favorite blanket with him. The tech they worked with was kind as she explained what was happening every step of the way, so Lily and Daniel would understand that there would be no pain. They had to leave eventually, choosing to leave the blanket with him. As Daniel closed the door behind him, he barely had time to catch Lily as she fell to her knees, sobbing as she caught sight of the well-loved pictures on the mantle.

34

Lily smiled as she saw the 8-year-old girl bouncing at the door. The building was made of white bricks and painted with a black dog and cat on the side. Other pets had come to their home, but the girl was so excited because she was finally getting a pet all of her own. She had been asking for a kitten for so long, and her parents had finally given in. She didn’t listen to the conversation her mom and dad had with the employee, her mom bouncing her baby brother on her hip. She nodded when her dad asked her if she understood the rules, even though she hadn’t listened to any of them.

She looked at all the cats, young and old, and eventually started playing with them. A gorgeous cat, about two years old, caught her eye. She was mostly white with peach and brown markings and startling blue eyes that were slightly crossed. The cat immediately climbed up her shoulder and nestled into her hair. She was too preoccupied with her new friend to notice the tears in her mother’s eyes when she said, “I want her.”

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About the Creator

Jocelynn Taylor

I love writing and was finally convinced to put some of my work out there!

Follow me @chachi_taylor on Instagram! I would always love to hear any reviews, constructive criticism, or to just talk about writing and books!

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