Molly's Story Read online

  Then I heard a sigh of air as the door that connected the basement and the yard opened up. The boxes slid away, and I jumped out, into CJ’s arms. She was wearing jeans and a sparkly T-shirt, and she had a backpack on her back. I lapped at her chin, my heart beating fast with joy. Time to have some more fun!

  “She’s still eating breakfast,” CJ whispered to me. “You have to be quiet, Molly. You can do that, right, girl?”

  She set down a bowl filled with food for me, and another with water, so I figured she was asking if I wanted to eat. Of course I did! When I’d finished, my girl picked me up and carried me outside to the yard and through the gate out onto the street. Then she started to run, bouncing me up and down in her arms. It was not very comfortable. Tug on a Towel or Find That Worm were better games. But at least we were together.

  When we reached a park, CJ let me down. The park was wonderful. Even better than the yard!

  There was so much grass to run in, and flowers to bite, and chittering squirrels in the branches of trees overhead. I got dizzy watching them and racing from tree to tree, trying to track their movements. There was excellent dirt to scratch up, and I could smell that many other dogs had been there before me. When I was done running and scratching and smelling, I could always go and flop down on my girl’s lap, and feel her scratching my back and running her gentle fingers along my ears.

  We spent the morning in the park together, CJ and me. After we had played for a long time, CJ took a cloth sack out of her backpack. It had lunch for both of us.

  She took a bowl out of her backpack, too, and gave me more of the crunchy food. For herself, she had some of that ham stuffed inside bread. And she poured water from a bottle into her hand and let me lap up as much as I wanted.

  After lunch I took a long nap with CJ stretched out on the grass beside me. When I woke, I found a likely looking stick and carried it back to my girl so that I could get petted and chew at the same time. CJ obliged. Then she stopped rubbing my ears so that she could wave. “Trent, hi!” she called. “Over here!”

  I could tell she was not talking to me, so I didn’t look up from my stick. Then, to my complete surprise, something about my size barreled into me and knocked me over.

  My whole head was buried in soft fur that smelled familiar. It was my brother! It was Rocky!

  I had thought, when we’d left Jennifer’s yard together, that I would never see Rocky again. Somehow I’d had the feeling that was what happened, that dogs left their mothers and their littermates in order to be with their people. But here Rocky was, rolling me over in the grass, and I was so glad to see him that I jumped on his head and chewed his ears with delight.

  CJ and Trent were sitting on the grass, laughing. “Do they remember each other? Do you think?” Trent asked.

  “Of course they do!” my girl said, giggling. “Look at how happy they are.”

  “Did your mom leave on her trip?” Trent asked. “You know you could have stayed with us while she’s gone. My mom would have said yes.”

  “She’s leaving this afternoon,” CJ said. “I just have to keep Molly at the park until then. And I don’t mind staying by myself. It’s not like I’ve never done it before. Besides, I’ve got Molly now.”

  “Yeah, you do.” Trent sounded worried, but I was too busy pinning Rocky down to pay much attention. “But Gloria will be back in two days, CJ!”

  “I know that. Trent, just … not now, okay? Look at the puppies. Let’s just have fun.”

  After some playtime, Trent picked up Rocky and said good-bye, and CJ scooped me up, too, and carried me home. She finally seemed to have learned that the space under the stairs was not a good spot for dogs, because we went in the front door together, and she let me down on the living room floor.

  I was so happy to be beside my girl in our own house that I could have raced in circles, barking and wagging. But I was pretty tired from our morning at the park, so all I did was flop down on CJ’s feet and pant happily.

  She scooped me up and lay down on the couch, holding me close. I wedged my head under her chin.

  I sighed with pleasure and fell asleep.

  That evening CJ fed me dinner in the living room. We sat on the floor, not far from the fireplace. She ate another ham sandwich while she watched pictures that flickered on a flat piece of glass, a screen. When a dog barked from the direction of that screen, I sat up straight, pricking my ears. Was there another dog in this house somewhere?

  “Silly Molly,” said CJ affectionately. She fed me a bit of ham. It tasted even better when she handed me small pieces, because I could feel her love, plus there was fresh ham-taste on her fingers every time. “It’s just you and me. You know what? I actually like it better when she’s gone. Especially with you here, girl. You’re going to keep me company.”

  I squatted down and made a puddle on the floor, which made CJ sit straight up on the couch and drop her sandwich. So I helped myself to bits of it while she ran to get soft, square pieces of paper to dab at the carpet with. Then she took me outside.

  I slept in CJ’s bed that night, and I was so happy about this that I kept waking up and licking her face. She would bat my nose away, but I could tell she didn’t really mean it. Finally, I settled down to nibble on her fingers whenever I felt that I just had to show her how much I loved her, and that’s how we spent the night.

  The next day CJ stood by the stove and made scrambled eggs, putting some in a bowl for me. Delicious! When we went out into the backyard, it was raining, so we didn’t stay long. CJ petted me and praised me when I emptied my bladder and bowels into the grass, and I licked at her hands. Whatever made my girl happy made me happy.

  We played in the house that day, just her and me. “Come here, Molly!” she called when we were back inside, and I followed her down the hallway.

  She opened a door, and we went into a room I had not seen before. There was that smell again, flowery and oily with the warmth of a grown-up woman mixed in. I knew that was Gloria’s smell, and looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  “Here, Molly,” CJ called. “See the dog in the mirror?”

  I heard the word “dog” and trotted up to her. Then I jumped back. There was another dog in here!

  It looked just like Rocky, but what was it doing inside my house? I bounded forward, and then pulled back in surprise as the other dog jumped fiercely at me.

  It didn’t smell like Rocky. In fact, it didn’t smell like a dog at all. Confused, I wagged my tail. It wagged. I bowed down to see if it wanted to play. It bowed down, too.

  I barked. It looked like it was barking back, but it didn’t make any noise. Very strange!

  “Say hi, Molly! Get the dog!” CJ said.

  I crept closer to the other dog, sniffing hard. How strange. It must not be a dog after all, just something that looked like a dog.

  “You see the dog, Molly? See the dog?”

  Whatever was going on, it wasn’t very interesting. I turned away, snuffling along the floor to see what I could discover. CJ was looking at the place where we’d seen the dog-that-was-not-a-dog, pulling her fingers through her hair.

  I sniffed under the bed. It smelled dusty under there. I poked my nose in farther, and it bumped into something. I got my teeth into the thing and pulled it out. It had a promising smell, like sweat and dirt and something animal-like. It felt good in my mouth, too. I settled down to give it a good chew as CJ fiddled with her hair. It was, I realized, what people wore on their feet. It was a shoe toy.

  “Oh, well, that’s as good as it’s going to get.” CJ sighed. She turned around and gasped.

  “Oh, Molly, no!”

  I looked up and wagged when I heard my name. Very unfairly, CJ reached down when my attention was diverted and snatched my new chew toy away from me.

  “Molly, this is … this is … oh boy.” CJ sighed. “Not a toy, Molly. Okay?”

  I wagged some more, waiting for her to give me the toy back. Instead, CJ yanked open the door where I’
d seen the dog-that-was-not-a-dog and stood in front of it, hesitating.

  I came to her side. There were lots of clothes in there, and that heavy, flowery scent wafted out. On the floor were many, many shoes. They all smelled as good as the one CJ now held in her hand, but with Gloria’s smell so strong, I did not get the feeling they were for me. I looked up at CJ.

  “You know what, Molly?” CJ said, staring into the closet. “I don’t think she’s going to miss it.”

  She handed me the shoe toy back, and I carried it happily out into the living room. I didn’t really like that other room anyway. The dog-that-was-not-a-dog might come back.

  I got to sleep with CJ again that night, and that was wonderful. In the morning, CJ cooked toast, and I got some. Then she scooped ice cream into a bowl, and I got some of that, too.

  “Toast and ice cream … it’s like cereal and milk. Right, Molly?” CJ asked me.

  I wagged and licked the bowl perfectly clean.

  When CJ took me out into the yard, everything was moist and the smells were deliciously strong. I squatted again and then dug up a few worms, but I didn’t eat any. After you’ve done that a few times, you learn they’re never going to taste any better than they smell.

  We went back inside, and CJ washed up the dishes. Then she took me back to the park. Rocky did not show up with Trent this time, and I was disappointed. But another dog did. His name was Get Back Here Milo.

  As soon as his owner snapped off his leash, Get Back Here Milo raced over to me. Since he was bigger and older, I knew what to do. I lay down on my back and showed him my belly, so he’d know that I understood the way things should be between us. He nosed me roughly, and then his owner called, “Get Back Here Milo!” and CJ picked me up, so he ran off again.

  CJ sat down in the grass and set me down. Then she stretched out so that her face was near mine. I was so happy I yipped and spun. “She’s coming back this afternoon,” CJ said to me. “Can you go without barking tonight?”

  I found a stick. I chewed until bits of bark came off in my mouth.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Molly. She’ll never let me keep you.” CJ grabbed me and gave me a fierce hug, squeezing me a little harder than I actually liked. “I love you so much.”

  I could feel the affection pouring off her, and it made up for the way she was holding me. But I was really focused on the stick at the moment, so I didn’t do much more than wag my tail.

  When we got back home, I was very disappointed. CJ took me straight from the yard to the basement and plopped me underneath the stairs again! I thought my girl had finally learned that everything was much better when we were together. I barked to let her know she’d made a mistake.

  She understood. Instantly, the box slid back.

  “I need you not to bark, okay, Molly?” my girl said. “She texted me from the airport. She’ll be home any minute.”

  She slid the boxes back. I stared at them with disappointment, but the truth is, I was pretty tired from all the playing in the park. My new toy was in this small space for me, but I didn’t even have the energy for a good chew right then. I curled up for a nap.

  I’d bark for my girl later. She’d come.

  I didn’t think I’d been sleeping very long when a door slammed upstairs, waking me. “I’m home!” Gloria’s voice boomed out. “Wait till you see what I bought in Aspen!”

  5

  Though I could always smell Gloria’s scent anywhere in the house, I hadn’t seen her for a while. Probably she’d be glad to see me now, just like CJ always was. I yipped a couple of times and waited, but all I heard was talking. I barked some more, and then I heard what I was expecting—the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

  CJ shoved the boxes aside.

  “Please, Molly, please. Please be quiet.”

  She had a bowl of food for me, and I gobbled it up. Then she tucked me inside her jacket and took me out the door that led straight to the backyard. I thought we were going to play in the grass, but instead she hurried out through a gate and along the sidewalk to the corner.

  Then she let me down, and immediately I squatted in the grass and left my mark there. CJ patted and praised me. But her voice did not sound happy.

  She took me back to the basement and into the small space. I tried to slip out as she pushed the boxes back in place, but I wasn’t fast enough. Her feet ran up the stairs.

  Then it was quiet.

  I slept a little, but then I woke up and remembered I was all by myself. CJ had forgotten to come and get me so that we could sleep side by side.

  I whimpered.

  Upstairs, CJ was probably lying in her bed, feeling lonely because I wasn’t with her. It was such a sad thought that I whimpered more loudly. Then I barked. And I barked some more.

  “Clarity! What’s that sound?” Gloria shrieked from overhead.

  The basement door at the top of the stairs banged open.

  “I think it came from down here!” CJ shouted. I wagged my tail happily as she came down the stairs. She’d heard me barking! She’d remembered how to play this game!

  “Go back to bed, Gloria. I’ll take care of it!” CJ called.

  I heard CJ moving around on the other side of the boxes. I scratched at them, impatient for her to let me out. Our game had gone on long enough. I barked.

  “There it is again!” Gloria said, panic in her voice. I could tell she was standing at the top of the stairs. “It’s a dog! There’s a dog in the house!”

  At last, CJ shoved the boxes aside. I tumbled out, leaping into her arms, licking her face. “No, there’s no dog!” she shouted. “It’s … it’s a fox! Stay back!”

  “A fox? What? Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure! Foxes bark, you know!”

  “How did it get into the house?” Gloria demanded from the top of the stairs. “What’s a fox doing here?”

  “Um, I bet the basement door blew open in the wind,” CJ said quickly. “I bet it came in because it smelled your stupid coat!”

  CJ smiled at me very quickly, and knelt down to put me on the floor. She stroked me, and I pressed close to her knees, wiggling a little with happiness to be next to my girl at last.

  “That can’t be right,” Gloria said doubtfully. “Are you sure it’s a fox?”

  “I know what a fox looks like!” CJ called out, covering her smile with her hands. “It’s a little one. I’m going to try to shoo it outside. Stay back! What if it runs up the stairs?”

  I heard Gloria gasp and take a few steps backward.

  CJ picked me up and ran with me out the basement door and into the yard.

  Just like the last time, she didn’t set me down. Instead, she kept running, holding me tightly, until we’d gone down the sidewalk and turned the corner. Then she stopped and let me down on some new grass.

  I stuck my nose into clump after clump of grass. There was a familiar smell everywhere I sniffed. Rocky had been here!

  CJ knocked on a window. After a moment, the window opened and a head stuck out. I heard a bark from inside and barked back happily, greeting my brother.

  “CJ? What are you doing here?” Trent asked sleepily.

  “Take Molly!” CJ said, scooping me up. In a moment, I’d passed from her hands to his.

  “Huh? What? Why are you giving me Molly?” Trent asked.

  “Just keep her for tonight,” CJ gasped. “I’ll explain later. I really need this, Trent!”

  “Well, okay.” Trent pulled me in through the window and hugged me close to his chest. “But what’s—”

  “Thanks!” CJ gasped, and she took off running while Trent gaped and I squirmed and wiggled, trying to get free of his hands and outside to run with my girl. But Trent plopped me on the floor and shut the window, and then Rocky barreled into me, so excited to see me that he knocked me off my feet. By the time I shook him off and got my paws up on the windowsill, CJ was gone.

  I whimpered. Trent sat down beside me and patted me. Rocky chewed on one
of my back legs a little, so I had to get down and chase him around Trent’s bedroom. After wrestling with my brother, I was so tired that I fell asleep in a lump on the carpet, even though Rocky was nibbling on my face.

  When I woke up, CJ still wasn’t there.

  Rocky was sleeping next to me, though, so it was easy to pounce on him and start the day off with some wrestling. He was a little bigger than I was, but he usually let me pin him down when I wanted to.

  “You two,” Trent groaned from the bed. “It’s not even five o’clock yet!”

  Rocky stopped playing and ran over to the bed. Trent’s hand was sticking out from under the covers, so Rocky nosed his way under it for some petting.

  It made me miss CJ. Where was my girl? When was she coming to get me? I barked by the window a little so that she would hear me and know I was waiting for her.

  “Aw, Molly,” Trent said. He threw off the covers and came to sit by me, rubbing behind my ears. I leaned my head into his hand. He wasn’t my girl, but he did know how to scratch just right. “You miss her, huh? I know how you feel.”

  After Trent had fed me and taken Rocky and me out to the backyard, the gate clanged open, and there she was. My girl!

  I threw myself at her, and she scooped me up. Rocky jumped up and down by her feet as well, and I even growled at him a little bit for acting as if he were as important to CJ as I was.

  CJ had a backpack on her back. She kissed me on top of my head, and she and Trent stood together, talking in hushed voices as Rocky ran in circles.

  “What did you tell her?” Trent asked.

  “That I had to leave early for school. Special project.”

  “Are you going to school?”

  “Not today.”

  “CJ, you can’t keep skipping school.”

  “Molly needs me.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Thanks for taking care of her,” CJ said, and she carried me out of the yard.

  CJ and I played in the park for a while, and then she took me home. I was a little worried that I’d be back in the space under the stairs; I was getting really tired of that game. But CJ just stretched out on the living room couch with me, and held me while I took a nap.