This story is set in 2026
CHAPTER 1:
On the evening of June 8th, at Alice and Ken's house, the family were sitting down to dinner. As Alice finished plating everything, Grace suddenly had this thought…
"Mom, can I have a pet?" Grace asked.
Alice's eyes widened as she thought about the question. She and Ken knew about their daughter's love for animals, and they didn't like to see her disappointed.
"Well, let me ask you this: Would you take care of it?" Alice asked.
"Yeah. If it's a dog, I'll walk it. If it's a cat, I'll love it every day. If it's a fish, I guess I'll talk to it," Grace reasoned.
"Do you have a preference regarding what animal you want?" Ken asked.
"Well, I'd have to think about it, Dad. There's so many to choose from," Grace said.
"Hmm, tell you what; this weekend, we'll take you to the animal shelter so you can look for a pet of your own," Alice offered.
"I'd like that very much," Grace said.
Alice noticed her daughter wasn't eating because she was deep in thought about her own pet.
"Honey, eat your chicken," Alice prompted her.
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Guess I got excited thinking about the whole pet idea," Grace explained as the family resumed eating.
After dinner, Alice called the animal shelter and spoke to a woman named Fran, who was in charge of adoptions. Alice explained to her that she and her husband were looking to pick out a pet for their little girl. Fran told them they could come by on the weekend with her, fill out an application, and see which of their animals suited them. The two ladies nailed down an appointment time. Alice knew Grace would be very excited.
Later that evening, Ken talked to Alice.
"Honey, are you really sure a pet is a good idea?" Ken asked, having his doubts.
"Come on, Ken, you know how much she loves animals," Alice said, trying to reason with him.
"I do. It's just, I'm surprised she didn't ask for a pet much earlier," Ken said.
"Maybe she waited until she knew she was ready for one," Alice suggested.
"I understand, but are you sure she's ready?" Ken asked.
"Well, a pet is a big responsibility, but I'm sure our daughter is up to it. Besides, her 8th birthday is coming up; maybe a pet of her own would make the perfect birthday present for her," Alice reasoned.
"Well, hopefully she'll find something good at the animal shelter this weekend," Ken said.
"Let's not forget that if we do decide to adopt an animal, it's going to cost money. We'll just have to put it in our budget," Alice added.
"Yeah, and that includes food, scratching posts, litter, toys, vet visits, you get the idea? Whatever ends up happening, It'll be worth the extra money if it makes Grace happy," Ken added.
"Yep. Hopefully. Good night, Ken," Alice said, turning off the bedroom lamp.
"Good night, Alice," Ken said as they both went to sleep.