Page 138 of Puppy Love

Reese walks neatly next to me, Dawson wearily behind. But Westley pulls us toward the back door excitedly, almost like he’s been here before.

Violet and I had talked about it one night when we were lying in bed together, how everything felt so perfect yet so incomplete. We couldn’t figure out what was missing. She set the contract on fire and I threw away her Furry Friends name tag. But still, something was wrong. Then, we turned on The Princess Bride, for old times’ sake, and it hit us.

He had no inquiries when we went to pick him up. Not a single person could look past his rough exterior, even though he looks so much better now than he had when we found him. It broke our hearts, but then, we knew it was divine intervention. It was meant to be.

“Hey!” Violet calls out when we step into the yard. A little brown-haired girl in French braids, who I assume is Tyler, races up and throws her arms around Violet tightly.

“Aunt Vi!” she squeals. Violet hands me the box, very carefully, and throws her arms back around Tyler.

“Hey bug! Happy Birthday!” Tyler beams up at Violet like she’s her very own sun. I can’t say that I feel differently. Violet gestures to me with a smile. “Tyler, this is my girlfriend, Cam. Cam, this is Tyler.”

Tyler smiles up at me, the cutest freckle on the bridge of her nose, just like Violet.

“Hi!” She waves, not shy at all. Her head tilts as she points at the box. “Is that for me?”

I nod, giving her a soft smile.

“It sure is. But we have to wait for your mom first, okay?”

“Okay!” Tyler nods, then barrels off into the yard. A tall man approaches us next, wearing a pink polo shirt tucked into a pair of khaki shorts. He sticks his hand out at me and smiles.

“I’m Jeremiah, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” He gestures to the box in my hand, his brows raising. “Is that it?”

I nod, and a smile breaks across his face as he reaches out for it.

“I can take that off your hands. I have a setup in the bedroom, so I’ll go put it in there.”

He winks and pats Violet’s back as he walks past her.

“Hey Vi! Your sister’s around here somewhere, I think Mallory has her cornered in the garden.”

Violet chuckles, shaking her head. “Thanks Jer, I’ll track her down.”

She turns to me.

“Ruthie isn’t the biggest fan of Mallory,” she says in a low voice. “But Mallory loves her.”

“So if Ruthie hates me, it’s not a deal breaker?” I ask teasingly, like I don’t mean it. Violet shakes her head.

“She won’t hate you.” She guides me into the yard, into the corner by the garden. I see a woman who looks like Violet but a little bit taller and a little bit curvier, another blue-eyed baby on her hip. She’s talking to Mallory, that shiny auburn hair glistening in the spring sun.

“Hey!” Ruthie calls out, grabbing Violet by the sleeve and pulling her in. Violet drags me along with her, face beaming.

“Ruthie, this is Cam. Cam, this is Ruthie.”

She holds her free arm out in a gesture for a hug.

“It’s nice to meet the face behind the contract!” Ruthie teases. “And this is Willow.” Ruthie bumps her hip forward, Willow propped on top. “She likes to eat things she shouldn’t, so she stays here most days.”

Ruthie pats her hip. I smile.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” I say. I crouch down, waving awkwardly at Willow. I don’t have a lot of experience with babies. “Hi, Willow.”

Ruthie’s cheeks glow, and she gestures to Mallory. “And I guess you two have already met…” she says awkwardly.

Violet elbows her roughly, and Ruthie scowls.

“What?” she asks defensively, rubbing her side. Violet simply shoots her a look.

---