Chapter One- A boy and his dog
Andrew, Adam and Michael were walking back to the house from watching a baseball game in the park. It was mid afternoon and they were just finishing a 'guys day out,' after all, living with eight women could get on their nerves every once in a while, no matter how much they loved them. It was certainly most irritating for Michael, who was the only little boy a house full of little girls. His secret wish was for a little brother or cousin, but something told him that would never happen.
Michael ran a few steps ahead of his father and uncle. He enjoyed this freedom he had when out with his Dad. He could run around as he pleased and did not have to keep hold of his hand. His sister hated this freedom and always clung to her father anyway as she was very shy in public places. Michael crushed the fall leaves under his feet as he walked along. He wasn't really looking where he was going and suddenly something knocked him off his feet. He sat straight up and looked at the source of his unanticipated fall. It barked at him. He smiled brightly. Michael's eyes lit up.
"Hi!" He hugged the dog and it licked his face in reply.
"What do you have here, Michael?" Michael looked up when he heard his father speak.
"Can I keep him Dad, please?"
"We'll see son. It depends." He bent down to Michael's level.
"On what?"
"It depends on weather or not this dog belongs to someone, and weather or not the family says that you can keep him. What do you think Andrew?"
"Are you kidding, I want to keep him! He's cute! Besides it's about time that we have a pet!"
"Okay, come on, let's go home."
The three men of the house and the dog went back to the house.
"Mom, Mom!" Michael called as he came into the kitchen. The dog at his heals.
"What, what honey?" She asked, turning around from her place pealing potatoes at the kitchen sink. Monica worked beside her she turned around too.
"Oh, oh, who's…"
"This is my dog. Can we keep him Mom, please? Aunt Monica?" Gloria and Monica exchanged glances.
"It's okay with me, if it's okay with you Monica."
"Oh I'd love to! This little guy is so sweet!"
"Yay!" He cheered loudly.
"What is it?" Tessa asked as she came down the stairs followed by her three sisters and her cousin. All five girls sat on the stairs.
"This is my dog!" He said proudly.
"Aww…" All five seemed to say at once as the dog rushed over to them. Tessa and Hanna began to pet the dog.
"What are you going to name him, Michael?" Zoe asked.
"I don't know yet."
"Michael." His aunt said gently.
"Yes."
"There's just one thing… and that's…"
"Grandma." All the girls said at once and Michael turned once again to face his grandmother.
"What is this Michael?"
"Please grandma, can I keep him! Please!"
"Please!" The girls asked.
Tess did not look pleased. She had that look in her eyes. The squinty one when she gets mad. Monica knew that it wasn't really her decision. The days of her deciding everything because it was her car and she was supervisor had long since past. Monica was supervisor now, and if keeping this dog was anyone's decision it was Andrew's because the house belonged to him. But there was a certain respect that they all had for Tess, her being their mother of sorts and a definite grandmother to their children.
"Michael, will you look after this dog?"
"Oh yes!"
"Will you feed it, wash it, walk it…"
"Yes! Yes!"
Tess looked down into the pleading eyes of her grandchildren, and she sighed, knowing that she couldn't say no to them. But on the other hand, Michael was far too young to care for this dog by himself. It was almost bigger than he was.
"Will all of you help Michael care for this dog?"
The girls nodded enthusiastically, as though they were one person.
"Michael, congratulations baby, he's all yours."
He smiled and hugged her legs.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Your welcome sweetheart."
The girls cheered in the background.
"Hey, how come you guys all talk as one today?"
"I don't know." Tessa and Hanna spoke at the same time and then burst into a fit of giggles. Monica smiled brightly, happy to see her twins together and so happy, like they were as babies.
"Michael, why don't you go outside and try to name this little guy, okay?" His mother urged.
"Okay Mom." He turned and the dog followed. Olivia and Sophie climbed off their places on the stairs and ran after them.
Hanna and Tessa turned up the stairs and rushed up to their room. Zoe remained there by herself. This was the one thing that Monica had not foreseen considering Hanna's return to the family. Of course Hanna and Tessa would become attached they were twins. But she never considered that her poor little Zoe would be left out completely, but that is what had happened. Gloria, by this time had gone back to her work but Monica stood, simply staring at Zoe who sat with her knees drawn up to her chin. She rocked herself slowly as though she were trying to keep from crying. Monica had not seen her daughter this miserable since she was an emotional little toddler (back then she had been scared to death of nearly everything).
"Oh honey, it's alright." She sat on the stair and hugged her.
"Not it's not Mom," She confided, tears pouring out of her sparkling emerald eyes.
"I know it's hard but they don't mean to…"
"Of course they don't mean to. I'm to old to play with them," she said pointing to the door in reference to her cousins and younger sister. "And I'm too young to hang out with Tessa and Hanna."
Monica hugged Zoe tightly.
"I know darl'in, I know." Zoe started to cry. "You'll find a balance soon sweetheart, you will." She kissed Zoe's head softly.
"Are you excited about the dog?"
"Tessa and I never got our kitten."
"That's right." Said Tessa as she came down the stairs. "We never did get our kitten." Hanna stood quietly, Monica wondered what kind of pet she would have had, but then she spoke.
"I wanted a cat too. She said they were too cuddly and furry. I argued that black cats are a symbol of Halloween she just waved me off. Long story short, she got me a bat."
Monica looked horrified.
"No Mom, really a bat." She said as she swung her arms like a baseball bat. They all laughed. "So I've never had a pet either."
"Mom?"
"Yes Tessa?"
"Zoe and I would like to know, can we have our cat?"
"Didn't you ever understand why you couldn't have one in the first place."
Tessa and Zoe exchanged glances.
"No, I guess not." Zoe spoke.
"Because we don't know if anyone will be here to take care.of it, and unlike a dog, you can't take it on assignments with you."
"But Mom, there are eleven of us in this house, someone's always going to be here."
"Okay." Monica sighed. "I'll mention this to your daddy, but don't say anything to or around Sophie or Olivia."
"I don't think they'd care." Gloria laughed. "Look at them with that dog."
Monica walked over to the window, and with out having to even see each other's faces the two mothers began to laugh.
"They're trying to ride the dog, poor thing." Monica smiled brightly as she walked to the back door and opened it.
"Sophie Faith!" She yelled. "Get off that Dog right now!"
Sophie fell off the dog and landed in a pile of crisp golden leaves. She laughed as Olivia jumped in with her