Chapter Seven
Lost Dog
After paying the vet bill, the O'Connells headed home. Alex led Seti with her leash, walking beside her. Evelyn and Rick were already talking about the puppies. "Evy, honey, we can't keep all those dogs. How many puppies are dogs supposed to have anyway?" Rick asked, sure it would be a lot. He imagined Seti having twenty or thirty puppies and them destroying the house.
"Five or six, usually." Evelyn answered, unaware of her husband's thoughts.
For Rick, that was bad enough. "We can't keep all those dogs." Rick repeated.
"Let's just wait and see what happens." Evelyn said.
Rick seemed content enough to follow his wife's advice.
The next day, Alex's first project was making Seti a house so that she could share his room. She also needed a house for all her puppies. Alex ran all over the house, Seti at his heels, collecting odds and ends for Seti's house.
While their son was upstairs, Evelyn and Rick sat in the parlor/study reading up on dogs and dogs that are going to have puppies. They, however, hadn't found anything that would help with Seti.
Rick sighed and closed the book he was reading. "Evy, we're not going to find anything in these books about a dog having puppies." He moaned.
"I suppose you're right. I'm sure that when Seti has her puppies then she'll know what to do." Evelyn said, shutting her book as well.
Evelyn stood up, Rick watched her. "Where are you going?" He asked his wife.
"There are some things I think we should get in town. I'll just go myself." Evelyn said, worried about all the things they should have when Seti had her puppies.
"Hurry back." Rick said. Evelyn said she would and picked up her purse. Since today was another beautiful day, Evelyn decided to walk to town. It would be good for her to get some exercise.
In town, Evelyn stopped by the veterinarian's office to ask Dr. Whick a few questions. Dr. Whick advised Evelyn on a few things that they could do to help Seti. "Make sure she has a comfortable place to lay and make sure she knows it's her place. That will be her whelping bed where she has the puppies. She needs lots of warm blankets and she needs to feel safe. Don't let your son near her until a few hours after she's had her puppies. Mother dogs are very protective and he might get bitten on accident." Dr. Whick advised.
Evelyn thanked the doctor for her help and left, hoping she remembered everything. Then she headed to the general store -which was the "all purpose store in the city- to get blankets for Seti and extra dog food for when the puppies were born. For after the puppies were weaned.
Without much trouble Evelyn got the items that she needed. As she headed up to the counter to pay for the items she passed by a large corkboard with various fliers and such tacked onto it. One of the fliers caught Evelyn's attention. "Lost Dog", the flier read, "Large, female, Golden Retriever, friendly. Answers to the name Sugar." Evelyn pulled the flier off the board and read it over and over again. The dog mentioned in the flier fit the description of Seti perfectly.
Evelyn folded the flier and put it in her pocket; she hurried and paid for the blankets and dog food -the fact that they might not use the items didn't enter her mind- and hurried home.
When Evelyn arrived home she found Rick and Alex playing in the parlor with Seti. Despite what Rick said about not wanting a dog, it was clear that he had already grown to like Seti. Evelyn put the shopping bag that held the blankets and such and hurried into the parlor. Seti barked when she entered; Evelyn pulled the flier out of her pocket and showed it to Rick.
Rick read the flier quickly and then looked down at Seti. Alex didn't know what was going on but it worried him; she stood up and joined his parents, reading the flier as well.
"No, Seti is our dog now. She's not those peoples' dog." Alex said, he didn't want Seti to go away.
"Alex, she looks like the dog described in this flier." Rick said, checking the description over again.
"So? Let's see if she answers to the name 'Sugar', I bet she won't." Alex said, he prayed that she wouldn't. "Sugar." He called.
Seti's ears pricked up and she ran over to Alex and his parents, barking. Alex shook his head. "No, you're not supposed to come when I call you that." Alex hissed at the dog.
Seti just barked and wagged her tail. Rick walked out of the parlor and into the sitting room where Seti couldn't see him. "Sugar." He called.
Seti barked and bounded toward Rick, wagging her tail. Evelyn and Alex followed Seti into the parlor.
Alex stopped and had an idea. "Cleo." He called.
Seti barked and turned toward Alex; she bounded over to him. Alex laughed and hugged Seti. "See, she comes to anything. She's just friendly." Alex laughed, overjoyed that Seti wasn't the dog in the flier.
Rick and Evelyn joined their son. "Right but we'd better take Seti to this address just to make sure she's really not their dog." Rick said.
Alex looked angrily up at his father. "Why? She's our dog now." He asked.
"Think of it this way Alex, if Seti doesn't belong to those people then we get to keep her. But if she does it wouldn't be right for us to keep her, even if we didn't go see." Evelyn said, she hoped that they were different dogs. She stroked Seti's back; Seti wagged her tail.
Rick, Evelyn, Alex and Seti all got into the O'Connells' new car -and Rick's pride and joy- and headed to the address that was printed on the poster. Alex spent the whole ride with his fingers crossed, hoping it wasn't Seti that was missing.
The O'Connells arrived at the address; the house in question was a manor, a slight bit smaller then the O'Connells but none the less nice.
Rick and Evelyn got out of the car. "Come on Alex. Bring Seti with you." Rick said, looking at his son.
"No, I want to stay in the car. Seti wants to stay too, if she's their dog they can come get her." Alex said, sliding down in the seat and crossing his arms.
With some coaxing from his mother, Alex finally emerged from the car, holding Seti's new leash. The four walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the door. Alex hid behind his mother, making sure Seti was pressed close to his side.
A middle-aged woman answered the door. "Hello, can I help you?" She asked, her voice was old and kind.
Rick showed her the flier. "My wife found this flier and we thought we might have found your dog." Rick said. He turned around to face Alex. "Let her see the dog." Rick said.
Alex slowly unhooked Seti's leash; Seti peeked out from behind Evelyn at the woman. She barked and bounded forward, wagging her tail.
The woman cuddled Seti and stroked her behind the ears. She smiled and looked at the O'Connells. "Thank you very much. But this isn't Sugar. Sugar has a white left paw." The woman said.
Alex smiled and called Seti to him; he was happy that Seti wasn't the woman's dog but he also felt sad for the woman because she lost her dog.
After bidding the woman good-bye, the O'Connells and their dog headed back to the car. Inside Alex hugged Seti. "So I guess this means Seti is our dog forever huh?" Alex said.
"I guess so." Rick answered.
Lost Dog
After paying the vet bill, the O'Connells headed home. Alex led Seti with her leash, walking beside her. Evelyn and Rick were already talking about the puppies. "Evy, honey, we can't keep all those dogs. How many puppies are dogs supposed to have anyway?" Rick asked, sure it would be a lot. He imagined Seti having twenty or thirty puppies and them destroying the house.
"Five or six, usually." Evelyn answered, unaware of her husband's thoughts.
For Rick, that was bad enough. "We can't keep all those dogs." Rick repeated.
"Let's just wait and see what happens." Evelyn said.
Rick seemed content enough to follow his wife's advice.
The next day, Alex's first project was making Seti a house so that she could share his room. She also needed a house for all her puppies. Alex ran all over the house, Seti at his heels, collecting odds and ends for Seti's house.
While their son was upstairs, Evelyn and Rick sat in the parlor/study reading up on dogs and dogs that are going to have puppies. They, however, hadn't found anything that would help with Seti.
Rick sighed and closed the book he was reading. "Evy, we're not going to find anything in these books about a dog having puppies." He moaned.
"I suppose you're right. I'm sure that when Seti has her puppies then she'll know what to do." Evelyn said, shutting her book as well.
Evelyn stood up, Rick watched her. "Where are you going?" He asked his wife.
"There are some things I think we should get in town. I'll just go myself." Evelyn said, worried about all the things they should have when Seti had her puppies.
"Hurry back." Rick said. Evelyn said she would and picked up her purse. Since today was another beautiful day, Evelyn decided to walk to town. It would be good for her to get some exercise.
In town, Evelyn stopped by the veterinarian's office to ask Dr. Whick a few questions. Dr. Whick advised Evelyn on a few things that they could do to help Seti. "Make sure she has a comfortable place to lay and make sure she knows it's her place. That will be her whelping bed where she has the puppies. She needs lots of warm blankets and she needs to feel safe. Don't let your son near her until a few hours after she's had her puppies. Mother dogs are very protective and he might get bitten on accident." Dr. Whick advised.
Evelyn thanked the doctor for her help and left, hoping she remembered everything. Then she headed to the general store -which was the "all purpose store in the city- to get blankets for Seti and extra dog food for when the puppies were born. For after the puppies were weaned.
Without much trouble Evelyn got the items that she needed. As she headed up to the counter to pay for the items she passed by a large corkboard with various fliers and such tacked onto it. One of the fliers caught Evelyn's attention. "Lost Dog", the flier read, "Large, female, Golden Retriever, friendly. Answers to the name Sugar." Evelyn pulled the flier off the board and read it over and over again. The dog mentioned in the flier fit the description of Seti perfectly.
Evelyn folded the flier and put it in her pocket; she hurried and paid for the blankets and dog food -the fact that they might not use the items didn't enter her mind- and hurried home.
When Evelyn arrived home she found Rick and Alex playing in the parlor with Seti. Despite what Rick said about not wanting a dog, it was clear that he had already grown to like Seti. Evelyn put the shopping bag that held the blankets and such and hurried into the parlor. Seti barked when she entered; Evelyn pulled the flier out of her pocket and showed it to Rick.
Rick read the flier quickly and then looked down at Seti. Alex didn't know what was going on but it worried him; she stood up and joined his parents, reading the flier as well.
"No, Seti is our dog now. She's not those peoples' dog." Alex said, he didn't want Seti to go away.
"Alex, she looks like the dog described in this flier." Rick said, checking the description over again.
"So? Let's see if she answers to the name 'Sugar', I bet she won't." Alex said, he prayed that she wouldn't. "Sugar." He called.
Seti's ears pricked up and she ran over to Alex and his parents, barking. Alex shook his head. "No, you're not supposed to come when I call you that." Alex hissed at the dog.
Seti just barked and wagged her tail. Rick walked out of the parlor and into the sitting room where Seti couldn't see him. "Sugar." He called.
Seti barked and bounded toward Rick, wagging her tail. Evelyn and Alex followed Seti into the parlor.
Alex stopped and had an idea. "Cleo." He called.
Seti barked and turned toward Alex; she bounded over to him. Alex laughed and hugged Seti. "See, she comes to anything. She's just friendly." Alex laughed, overjoyed that Seti wasn't the dog in the flier.
Rick and Evelyn joined their son. "Right but we'd better take Seti to this address just to make sure she's really not their dog." Rick said.
Alex looked angrily up at his father. "Why? She's our dog now." He asked.
"Think of it this way Alex, if Seti doesn't belong to those people then we get to keep her. But if she does it wouldn't be right for us to keep her, even if we didn't go see." Evelyn said, she hoped that they were different dogs. She stroked Seti's back; Seti wagged her tail.
Rick, Evelyn, Alex and Seti all got into the O'Connells' new car -and Rick's pride and joy- and headed to the address that was printed on the poster. Alex spent the whole ride with his fingers crossed, hoping it wasn't Seti that was missing.
The O'Connells arrived at the address; the house in question was a manor, a slight bit smaller then the O'Connells but none the less nice.
Rick and Evelyn got out of the car. "Come on Alex. Bring Seti with you." Rick said, looking at his son.
"No, I want to stay in the car. Seti wants to stay too, if she's their dog they can come get her." Alex said, sliding down in the seat and crossing his arms.
With some coaxing from his mother, Alex finally emerged from the car, holding Seti's new leash. The four walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the door. Alex hid behind his mother, making sure Seti was pressed close to his side.
A middle-aged woman answered the door. "Hello, can I help you?" She asked, her voice was old and kind.
Rick showed her the flier. "My wife found this flier and we thought we might have found your dog." Rick said. He turned around to face Alex. "Let her see the dog." Rick said.
Alex slowly unhooked Seti's leash; Seti peeked out from behind Evelyn at the woman. She barked and bounded forward, wagging her tail.
The woman cuddled Seti and stroked her behind the ears. She smiled and looked at the O'Connells. "Thank you very much. But this isn't Sugar. Sugar has a white left paw." The woman said.
Alex smiled and called Seti to him; he was happy that Seti wasn't the woman's dog but he also felt sad for the woman because she lost her dog.
After bidding the woman good-bye, the O'Connells and their dog headed back to the car. Inside Alex hugged Seti. "So I guess this means Seti is our dog forever huh?" Alex said.
"I guess so." Rick answered.