Page 142 of Just One Season
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“You took forever at dinner. Did you bring me chicken nuggets?”
“Obviously.” I nod toward Lucy who’s holding a paper bag with chicken nuggets and french fries inside. Lucy’s dog runs circles around us, desperate to get to Ava.
“Yes! I already had dinner, but I can have this for snack time, right, Mom?”
“Sure, Aves.” Bri steps inside. “Lucy, are you sure we can borrow MBM overnight? Ava’s been desperate for a doggy sleepover.”
“He will love it. He loves Ava. And you, too, Bri.” Lucy smiles warmly at Bri, then down at my daughter.
Bri laughs and shakes her head. “I don’t need him to love me. But he’s pretty cute.”
Lucy is the only woman I’ve dated that Bri has enthusiastically approved of. The only one she’s smiled at, supported, welcomed into our lives. That’s gotta mean something.
“No, Mommy, that’s not right.” Ava wiggles out of my arms and looks at Lucy.
“What’s not right?” Bri asks.
“Lucy? I had an idea.” Ava clasps her hands together.
“What’s your idea, sweet girl?” Lucy cocks her head and waits for my daughter to continue.
MBM jumps up on Ava, and she wraps her arms around his body, kissing his head and giggling.
“I was thinking about all the names you gave Mister Barky McBarkface.”
“Well, you gave him his latest name, although I shortened it to MBM.”
“What were all the names again?”
Lucy scrunches her face as if she’s thinking really hard. “He started out as Max, but he is definitely not a Max. Then he was Oscar, and by the time I got here he was Waffles. Then Zeus, Taco, Harry, Prince Harry, Bear, and now Mister Barky McBarkface. MBM.”
Bri and I both chuckle. Lucy gives us a stern look as Ava is tapping her chin dramatically, clearly thinking hard.
“Yeah, but I think it’s too long. It’s hard to say. And I don’t really like MBM as a nickname.” She shakes her head.
“Ava.” Bri crosses her arms.
“It’s okay. She’s right.” Lucy nods, her face completely serious. “Do you have a recommendation?”
I groan and laugh. “Careful what you ask for, Lucy.”
“I think it should be Waffles,” Ava says.
“Really?” Lucy bursts out laughing just as her dog barks wildly.
“See, he likes it!” Ava gets on her knees and lets Mister Bark—Waffles—lick her face in a way that grosses me out just a little.
“Hmmm. Maybe he likes it.” Lucy appears to consider the idea of renaming her dog, but I already know she’s going to do it.
“You really don’t have to.” Bri shakes her head.
“It’s perfect. I think it was always my favorite name,” Lucy says. Ava cheers. “But this has to be it. His name is permanently Waffles.”
“Yes!” Ava squeals.
“I can finally get an engraved nametag. I knew I was waiting for a reason.”
