Snow Angels

The storm rolled into Boston just before midnight. The power went out sometime around two, disconnecting the entire south end neighborhood, including the slow charge on Brendan’s iPhone. Luckily, he never actually needed to use the alarm on his phone because that job was proudly performed daily by a trained professional.

Acting on instincts, Ellie leaped onto the sun-kissed mattress, and began licking Brendan’s cold cheeks with her long, warm, sand-paper tongue, while she growled in his ears. Brendan was up quite late the previous night, finishing the final chapter of his debut novel which he needed to desperately email to his editor. So he was ignoring Ellie with every ounce of strength he could muster. Big mistake.

Ellie, being a professional afterall, switched to her tried-and-true contingency plan. Using every ounce of her seventy-five pound frame, she repeatedly bounced her paws against his back until he coughed and screamed his cry of surrender.

Brendan peeled his body from the warm sheets, causing Ellie to zoom around the bedroom. The windows to their second floor condo were coated with ice, and it was still actively snowing. Fortunately, the heat was still working. He smiled, yet shivered at the chilling thought of stepping outside. But then he heard the squeaking of Ellie’s favorite hedgehog toy from the kitchen, and the jingle of her collar. He smiled again.

Emily, Brendan’s fiance, awoke to a very familiar tone of barking. She lifted the blind, and saw her funny little family making snow angels.