New Addition to the Family
It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and the Stokes family was just hanging out around the house.
"Hey Nick it's so nice out, what do you say we all take the dog for a walk, I'm sure the kids would love going outside?" Jackie asked her husband.
"Sounds good to me." Nick agreed.
Jackie went to get Jasmine's shoes on while Nick got Houston ready.
After Jasmine was all ready to go Jackie went to find the dog. She found him lying in his dog bed in Jasmine's room. Chief had slept in Jasmine's room since Nick and Jackie had brought her home from the hospital, it was almost like he was acting as her protector. Like most young children do Jasmine often petted him a little harder then she should or sometimes she would accidently step on his tail or his paw but Chief never seemed to mind. The dog was one of Jasmine's best buddies. He was technically Jackie's dog because Nick had given him to her as a gift on their first anniversary but it was safe to say Jasmine had stolen him from her.
"Come on boy, let's go for a walk." She said but the dog continued to sleep.
"Come on, don't be lazy." She said with a chuckle.
"Chief." She said a little louder when he didn't respond.
When she still didn't get any response she walked over to him and laid a hand on his back.
"Nick, come up here right now." She yelled.
He appeared in the doorway at once, his face was clouded with concern, and that concern only grew when he say the tears in her eyes.
"What is it?" he asked worriedly.
"I think Chief is dead." She blurted.
His eyes grew wide as he walked over to where the dog lay. Jackie stepped back, it didn't take Nick long to confirm what she already knew. Nick looked up at her and gave her a small, sad nod. The tears that were in her eyes now rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry sweetie." He said as he came over to her and wrapped his arms around her but her six month pregnant belly made getting a good hug next to impossible.
"What do we tell Jasmine?" she asked quietly.
"I'll think of something, in the meantime I'll go call the vet." He answered as he let her go and walked out of the room.
"Come here a second." Nick said to Jackie just a few minutes later.
She came out into the kitchen to join him, making sure they were well out of the children's earshot.
"The vet said I could bring Chief in to have him cremated. What do you think?"
"I think that's the best thing, I'd rather do that then have him buried somewhere." She said.
"I think so too." He agreed.
"Ok then let's do it." She said.
Not long after that Jackie took the kids into the master bedroom with her and shut the door so the kids wouldn't see Nick carrying the dog outside. Nick and Jackie discussed whether or not it was a good idea to let Jasmine say goodbye but ultimately they decided that she was just too little.
"Come on guys, let's dance." Jackie said.
She turned on the T.V and found a channel with country music on and danced around the room with the kids. The kids giggled as they danced with their mother. This was a fun way for Jackie to keep the kids entertained but it was also a great way for her to take her mind off of what Nick was doing. After she was sure Nick had left she took the kids outside to play.
About an hour later she was feeding both kids lunch when Nick came back home.
"We can pick up his ashes in a couple days." He whispered to Jackie.
She nodded.
"You ok?" he asked.
Again she just nodded.
"Uh-oh." Jasmine said, snapping Nick and Jackie out of their thoughts.
They looked down and saw that a piece of her hot dog was on the floor.
"That darn piece of hot dog just jumped right off your plate didn't it?" Nick said with a laugh.
"Dada funny." Jasmine giggled.
"EEFFF." Jasmine called.
Chief loved it when the kids ate because nine times out of ten some of it would land on the floor and he'd happily clean it up for them. Nick and Jackie had even caught Jasmine throwing her food on the floor on purpose just so Chief could have some. This time though, the dog did not come running.
"EEEEFFF." Jasmine called again.
Jackie gave Nick a look that said what do we do?
Nick saw the look on her face and shrugged helplessly, he didn't know what to say either.
"Eeefff outside?" Jasmine asked as she looked at Jackie.
Jackie just turned and pretended to get something out of the fridge, she didn't know what to do, she didn't want to lie to her daughter but she didn't know how to tell her the truth either.
Jasmine didn't appear to be bothered at all by Jackie's lack of response as she just happily ate the rest of her hot dog. After lunch Jasmine went in search of her beloved furry friend but she obviously didn't find him.
"We have to do something." Jackie finally said to Nick as Jasmine was trying with all her might to get the back door open so she could go look for the dog outside after she didn't find him anywhere in the house.
"Ok, yeah you're right." Nick agreed.
He picked up Jasmine and carried her into the living room, Jackie followed close behind. Nick sat down on the sofa with Jasmine in his lap and Jackie took a seat next to him.
"Jasmine sweetie, Chief went bye-bye." Nick said.
"Outside?" Jasmine asked.
"No peanut, he's not outside." Nick answered.
"Pane?" She asked.
"No baby, he's not on a plane either." Jackie said as tears filled her green eyes.
"Mama sad?" Jasmine asked as she gently wiped a tear off of Jackie's face.
"No honey mommy's ok." Jackie said.
"Sweetie sometimes when doggies get old they have to go bye-bye." Nick said as he tried to not cry himself.
"Eeefff bye-bye?" Jasmine said sadly as tears filled her own sweet brown eyes.
"Yes, honey, Chief went bye-bye." Nick said.
"Eeefff bye-bye." Jasmine wailed as she buried her face in Nick's shirt and bawled her eyes out.
"Shhhh its ok sweetheart, it'll be ok., daddy's so sorry." Nick said softly as he stroked the little girl's hair, trying to console her.
"Mommy and daddy love you so much baby girl." Jackie said as she too stroked Jasmine's hair.
Eventually Jasmine cried herself to sleep on Nick's lap.
After he had laid her down in her bed he went in to his own room and found Jackie sitting on the bed, tears were rolling down her pretty cheeks.
"That was beyond horrible." She said as he took a seat next to her.
"Yeah that sucked." Nick agreed as he grabbed her hand.
An hour later Jasmine was still asleep so Jackie peeked her head in her room to check on her.
"Oh God." She said quietly.
Then she turned and yelled "Nick, come here, quick."
When Nick got to the doorway of Jasmine's room he was shocked at what he saw.
"Oh no." he said as he looked at Jackie.
Jasmine was curled up in a fetal position in Chief's dog bed.
To Be Continued…..