They had talked about getting a dog for years, but the moment had never been right. First they had just gotten back together and of course the surprise pregnancy didn't help either. Then it was figuring out how to be parents, and of course they added a second child into the mix as well.
They had six years worth of time to get a dog. The kids begged for one like all kids do, but the moment never felt right. And then they had another baby, which meant another year of waiting.
Their eldest were patient, or as patient as two elementary school children could be. Any moment they saw to bring up getting a dog they did trying hard to lobby for why one would be good for their house and how their parents had promised.
He saw the look in his wife's eyes as well. She grew up with a dog, and while they hadn't been speaking at the time knew how much it hurt her when her father had to put her pit bull down.
He was the one that brought up the subject of a dog after all the kids had gone to sleep. He put up a good case saying the two oldest were ready for the responsibility and their baby was almost two now and they didn't need to worry as much about splitting the attention.
It hadn't taken much to convince her, actually the opposite. She was ready to start looking for puppies that moment, but he suggested that sleep was a better option.
They had agreed to rescue a dog, a pit bull of course. They didn't need a pure breed and it was better to adopt a dog that was in need of a forever home.
The kids were ecstatic when they learned the news and agreed to every condition their parents gave them about the dog. Though he had a strong feeling he and his wife would be doing most of the work. At least they had a fenced in backyard.
The five of them took to the adoption pages each night searching for their perfect dog. It had only taken a few days for them to find a male one and a half year old pit bull that they all fell in love with. They had set up a meeting with his foster home, in which they knew this was the dog for them.
It had only taken another week for the paper work to go through and then the white and brown dog was theirs. After school the family piled up into the SUV and drove the thirty minutes to pick up the newest member if their family.
He held the toddler in his arm and his other children and wife stood excitedly next to him. The foster mother had gone to the backyard to get their dog. He came running straight over to them as if knowing this was his forever home.
His oldest daughter put on his new collar, which held a temporary tag since they still hadn't decided on a name. Naming a dog proved to be just as difficult as naming a child. She proudly attached the leash as well and with a final wave and thank you the family was off to the car. The pit bull happily jumped into the back and gave his new owner a sloppy kiss on the face.
On the car ride home he kept glancing in his review mirror at his children. The three couldn't keep their hands off the dog, and he was not complaining about all the attention. He noticed his wife doing the same and knew she was yearning to get her hands on the puppy as well.
He wasn't sure why they had waited so long to make this decision. He usually gave in easily when he came to his family's happiness and this one put them over the moon. Without taking his eyes off the road he took his wife's hand into his own and squeezed it. So he wasn't the new puppy, but he understood her desire and inability to do anything about it.
She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, thanking him once again. He smiled as he looked over at his wife and the back at the kids just in time to see the dog plant one on the toddler, eliciting a loud squeal from her. Yeah this dog was exactly what their family needed.