First Dog – Freddie POV

"So what am I supposed to name you?" I asked the bulldog sitting in the passenger seat of my pickup truck. Cece had wanted a puppy for her third birthday, but I think Sam wanted it more.

I snuck a glimpse at the female dog and then focused my attention back on the dirt road.

"You look like a troublemaker," I commented.

The puppy yipped and propped its head up on its front paws.

"I think I got an idea for your name."

The puppy sat up, interested to find out what its name was.

"Nah, you wait until we're with Sam and Cece. Then we'll unveil your name," I decided.

She grunted and stuck her head out the window, enjoying the country Autumn air. Cece's birthday was September 23rd, which was basically pretty much a holiday to the toddler mind.

I drove through the long, straight, dirt driveway and parked on the grass in front of the barn. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I heard Cece running from the house a good distance away.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" she said as her short legs finally brought her to me.

"Cece! Cece! Cece!" I mimicked her. She jumped into my arms and wrapped her legs around my back. I kissed the side of her head and she wrapped her arms around my neck. This is what happens when we're separated for more than two minutes. "Where's mommy?" I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

"CECE, WHERE'D YOU GO?" Sam called from the house.

"SHE'S DOWN HERE!"

"DOWN WHERE?"

"AT THE BARN!"

"I'M COMIN!"

Cece covered her ears the whole time.

"Cece, you have to-" I saw that she still had her hands over her ears while I was talking to her. "Put your hands down, ya goofball!"

She giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck again. "You're a goofball."

"I'm a goofball?" I smiled.

She nodded her head.

"Alright, so what if I am?" I asked.

She giggled.

"Anyways… Cece, you have to tell mommy or me whenever you go somewhere without us, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay!" she shouted through her constant stream of giggling.

And when I say constant, I mean constant. My baby girl is almost always laughing.

I set her down and she ran towards her mommy who was taking her sweet time walking towards the barn. She was almost there. Sam picked up Cece and carried her back to me. I pecked Sam on the lips as she set Cece back down on the ground.

"Did ya get her?" she asked me.

I nodded my head and tapped the car passenger door I was leaning against.

"Get who?" Cece asked innocently.

Sam picked Cece up in her arms and held her at eye level with us.

"Cece, what day is it today?" I asked.

"Is my birthday!" she slurred.

"And what did you want for your birthday?" Sam asked her.

Cece was a seriously smart kid. "Gimme the puppy!" she demanded.

Freddie smiled and turned around to open the car door. He grabbed the leash quickly before the bulldog could escape. The puppy jumped out of the car and immediately rolled around in the grass.

Sam lowered Cece to the ground and she started to roll around in the grass with it. Sam laughed and took a picture with her cell phone. "Cece, what do you say to daddy?"

"Thank you, daddy," she recited.

"You're welcome, Cece," I said. We were trying to teach her manners. So far, so good. Saying that Sam didn't have many and all…

"What's her name?" Sam asked curiously.

"Wilma," I answered.

"Hi Wilma!" Cece said as the puppy tackled her to the ground.

"Why Wilma?" Sam asked.

"Just wait," I answered.

THE NEXT MORNING

Sam and I woke up to find little yellow puddles scattered around the wooden kitchen floor, and I knew exactly what to say.

"Wilma!" I yelled, stretching out the vowels.

And that actually got Sam laughing at my resemblance to Fred Flintstone.