Chapter 51: A Happy Surprise
Saturday morning, Mitch and Amy were both up early and had a hard time containing the excitement they felt for what was in store for their daughter today! Amy was feeling back to herself and was bustling about as she'd asked Mitch to give her the chance to try breakfast on her own while he helped the hands with the chores. Lyndy was still sleeping, so Amy had the added advantage of being able to fully concentrate on the task at hand. She was doing a repeat of last Saturday's breakfast since that was the first one Mitch had taught her. She began, recalling his instructions, by setting the butter out to soften so it would spread more easily on their toast, and heating the oven while she spread the whole pound of bacon on the baking sheet. She liked that Mitch had taught her how to cook it in the oven – so much less mess and splattering everywhere and running the risk of grease burns on her skin. She proceeded step-by-step, and by the time Mitch came in from the barn, she almost had everything ready…all at the same time! Mitch kissed her on the cheek and high-fived her, then he washed up, went up to wake his little sleeping beauty, and they came down together to help Amy with getting everything on the table. They were almost as proud of Amy as she was of herself. She felt a great sense of accomplishment, and she was surprised at having almost the same satisfaction as when she was helping a troubled horse, but not quite.
When they finished eating, Mitch and Amy were quick to encourage Lyndy to get dressed since they could hardly wait to share the surprise with her! When she came down the stairs, Mitch said, "Sweetheart, before Papa Doc and Gram-Ginny arrive, we have an errand we need to run in town, so please get your shoes and a light jacket on before we leave."
Lyndy obediently followed her Daddy's direction, and they all headed out the door to get in the truck. As the joy from the day before still lingered in the air, the family harmonized singing silly songs on the way to Hudson. When they pulled up in front of the animal shelter, Mitch caught the questioning look on Lyndy's face as he saw her in the rear-view mirror.
"Daddy, Mama, what kind of errand are you running here? Isn't this where they have animals?" she asked.
Amy turned in her seat to face Lyndy as she replied with great anticipation at Lyndy's possible reaction, "Daddy and I thought you might could use a puppy!"
"A puppy! Really?!" she answered wide-eyed.
"Yes, really! And we thought you might like to pick it out," Mitch replied joyfully smiling at her.
"You're not teasing me?"
"I'm not teasing you. What do you think?" Mitch asked.
That was all it took, and Lyndy was out of her car seat and wrapping her arms around both their necks as tears of joy started to run down her little cheeks. Mitch and Amy couldn't be happier at her excitement and joy.
"So are you ready to go inside and find your puppy?" Amy asked her.
"Yes! Let's hurry!" and she started clapping her hands together and jumping up and down as best she could in the back seat of the truck and wiping the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve.
As Mitch lifted her out of the back to help her get down, she threw her arms around his neck and said, "Thank you, Daddy! I love you!" and kissed him on the cheek.
Mitch's heart was in his throat as he responded with a raspy voice, "Sweetie, I love you, too," and he gently set her on the ground. She flew to the door, and with her hand on the handle, turned back to call, "Daddy, Mama, come on! Hurry!"
As they walked in the door, they were greeted by the receptionist, and they let her know why they were there. She called someone, and in a moment, a young man came through another door and ushered them back to view the available animals. Walking through, Lyndy talked to each animal she came to, or had an "Ooooo," or an "Awwww" for each one, and she tried to pet several. But all they were seeing were older dogs, no puppies…until…they rounded the corner, and there was the most adorable little multi-colored Aussiedoodle puppy! However, he was sprawled out lying on his back, and he didn't get excited when he saw them. It was puzzling. Amy asked the attendant about his behavior, and he explained, "Well, you see, ma'am, he was adopted about a week ago, but the family had several very small children, and it didn't work out, so they brought him back."
"Oh, Mama, that's so sad," Lyndy said squatting down by his cage. "Look, Mama! He has blue eyes just like us! Hey little buddy, you just need somebody to love you, huh? Would you like to come home with us? You'll have lots of playmates because we have seven horses, and you'll have me!" Lyndy told him, then she turned to look up at her mama and daddy, "This is the one! He needs a good home where he'll be loved. We can give him that!" she declared. (1)
Amy responded, "I think you might be right," and she looked toward the attendant, "Looks like we'll be taking this little guy."
"Ok, ma'am. I'll get him ready for you while you step back out front and take care of the paperwork."
Mitch and Amy gave her a few more moments with the puppy, then Mitch said, "Come on, Sweetie, we need to go get the paperwork done so we can take him home."
"Ok, Daddy. Come on, what are we waiting for?" she enthusiastically replied as she jumped up and took Mitch by the hand, pulling him toward the receptionist.
They filled out and signed all the paperwork letting them know they'd call with the name later and paid the shelter fee. A veterinary nurse stepped out to let them know he'd already had all his shots. In addition, she informed them that he, fortunately, had a naturally bobbed tail, so there would be no need to worry about that, and if they wanted to have him neutered, the shelter would take care of that free of charge. Since he would be a ranch dog and likely a cattle dog as well, Mitch and Amy decided against the procedure, not wanting to stunt any of his potential drive.
The attendant brought the puppy out, wrapped in a light towel and put him in Lyndy's waiting arms. She cuddled him and hugged him to her face. He still looked a bit unsure. The four of them headed to the truck, and Mitch held him while Lyndy got herself buckled into her booster seat, then Mitch carefully handed the furry, shaking bundle to her. They headed to Maggie's to find him a collar, leash, brush, bed, food and water dishes, and dog food.
"Mama, he's shaking. Do you think he's ok?"
"He's probably just a little scared and insecure about what's going on. Give him a little time," Amy reassured her.
As they stopped at Maggie's, Lyndy carefully handed the puppy over to Mitch while she and Amy went in to get the needed supplies. Then they stopped by the grocery store while Mitch ran in to get all they'd need for the weekend.
On the way back home, the puppy was still a little shy but was slowly warming up to Lyndy, perhaps beginning to feel surer he was really going to have a home now. By the time they got him in the house, his little bobbed tail had begun to wag.
"Ok, Lyndy, we are going to need to train him to go potty outside. So we'll all need to ask him often, take him out, and when he does his business, praise him highly," Amy said. "I also picked up some spray that we can put on the furniture to discourage him from peeing on it. We don't want him to damage the nice furniture Daddy has shared with us."
"Ok, Mama. I'm glad I've got you and Daddy to help me train him."
"Lyndy, his breed is from a working dog family, so he likes to stay active. If we can teach him all the basic commands, and he gets really good at obeying, then maybe in the Spring, we can let him give a try at working with the cattle. What would you think about that?" Mitch asked.
"I think he might like that, Daddy, and he'd be helping you out, too, which, in a way, would mean I'm helping you, too!" Lyndy replied proudly.
Mitch's heart softened once again at the caring spirit of his daughter. 'I don't know what I did to deserve her, but thank you, Father!' he silently thought to himself.
"Sweetheart, until we can get him house-trained, I think he'll need to sleep down here where we have tile so he doesn't have an accident on the carpet. Once he's trained, then perhaps he can sleep in your room. We'll have to see how it goes," Amy said, knowing that it was likely going to mean less sleep for her and Mitch for a while, but the joy on their daughter's face made it worth it all. And more than likely, he would prove to be a great asset to the ranch as well.
Lyndy went to set on the couch with him, and suddenly she said, "I think we should call him Skye, because…look how blue his eyes are! Not only do they match all of us, but they look like the blue sky!"
"Sweetie, I think that is the perfect name for him!" Mitch agreed.
"Yes, Honey, that perfectly fits him," Amy said. "Ok, I need to go get the room ready for Doc and Ginny before they arrive."
"Ohhhh, I forgot they are coming today! I can't wait to show them Skye! They are going to love him!" Lyndy said excitedly!
Mitch asked, "Lyndy, can you take care of Skye while I go help Mama get the room ready?"
"Sure, Daddy! I think he is finally feeling like he's home. Look at him licking my hand," she pointed, giggling as she cuddled him closer to her.
As Mitch and Amy headed back to prepare the room, Mitch commented, "Seems like a little more than coincidence that he was the only puppy at the shelter today."(2)
Amy thought he might be right.
Mitch and Amy worked quickly to put clean sheets on the bed in the guest room and dusted and vacuumed to be sure all was ready to warmly greet Mitch's parents for their stay. When they finished and came back out into the living room, Lyndy asked if they could take Skye out to meet the horses and to show him to Zeke and Charlie. So they all trekked out to the barn, and as Lyndy held Skye up to each horse, they all eventually ended up nuzzling him. Maverick took an interest in him right away, perhaps recalling his days with Champ, however, it took Harley a little longer than the others. Little did the horse and puppy know that before long, they'd be inseparable anytime they were near each other, particularly because of a shared devotion to Lyndy. It appeared that he was going to fit right in. Zeke and Charlie didn't disappoint Lyndy in how they went on about how cute he was and that he was a perfect fit for the family and the ranch. That made Lyndy especially happy with the choice she'd made.
They came back in and washed up and then had lunch together. Skye had really begun warming up to his new home by then and ate really well when Lyndy fed him his first meal. His little tail had begun to wag almost constantly by then. They'd also gotten a circular fence they could set up off the kitchen to keep him in at night until he could master being house-broken. Lyndy helped Mitch lay down newspapers, set up the fence and put the puppy's food and water bowls in the far corner of the pen close to where they put the bed for him to sleep in. When Lyndy set him down on the bed, he circled around a few times, scratched a bit and finally settled with his back against one of the edges.
After cleaning up any packaging from all the dog supplies and getting each item in its proper place, Lyndy and Skye went out to the backyard to play. It wasn't long before there was a knock on the front door, and Doc and Ginny arrived to be warmly greeted by their son and new daughter-in-law. Mitch and Amy let them know where Lyndy was and about the new puppy, then Mitch helped his dad carry their things to the guest room.
When they came back out, Ginny and Amy were waiting for them to go surprise Lyndy. As they walked through the sliding glass door, Lyndy was trying to teach Skye to fetch. In a few moments, she looked up and saw her grandparents on the patio. She quickly dropped the stick and flew to jump into Doc's arms while motioning her Gram-Ginny to join them in a three-way hug. It took Skye a few moments to realize where his new mistress had disappeared to. When he did, his little legs maneuvered the grass and scampered toward them. Lyndy drew back from the hug and said, "I'm so glad to see you! We've been waiting all morning for you to get here!" and she kissed them both on their cheeks. "And Papa-Doc, let me down. I need to show you my new puppy! We only got him just this morning!" and after Doc deftly set her feet on the ground, Lyndy reached down to gently pick her puppy up as he nuzzled against her. "His name is Skye because of his blue eyes. They match Daddy's, Mama's and mine. Isn't he just the cutest?!"
Doc and Ginny were amused at how ecstatic their new granddaughter was, though they knew that if they'd only gotten him today, it might be an interesting next couple of nights.
"He is just precious, Sweetheart," Ginny said.
"What kind is he?" Doc asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew.
"He's an Aussiedoodle," Lyndy replied. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked Doc.
"Well, sure," he replied. "How about we go sit down on the couch together. He might feel a little more secure the first time since I'm pretty high off the ground."
Granddaughter and Grandfather moved to the couch and Ginny followed, and for several minutes, they petted the puppy and caught up with each other. Shortly into their conversation, Lyndy announced, "Papa-Doc and Gram-Ginny, did you know that yesterday, my adoption was final, and Daddy is now my daddy in every way! And I think that means that you are my new grandparents in every way, right?"
"It surely does, though we already felt that way, even without the paper," Ginny assured her as she drew her close into a hug.
"Ohhhh, and you haven't seen my room since we got moved in, and you've got to see what Daddy gave me! Come on; I'll show you!"
Following her lead, her grandparents climbed up the stairs, as did Mitch and Amy, anticipating the joy of seeing her happiness in sharing something she was proud of. Doc and Ginny were moved by the inscription on the dressing table, especially when they found out Mitch had carved it. Then Amy informed them that they also needed to see the one that Mitch had done for her. He explained to his parents what had prompted the idea for him to gift his girls with dressing tables. Ginny was touched, as she hadn't even realized that was something that Mitch had especially remembered from growing up in their home.
Mitch asked if they'd already had lunch, and they replied they'd eaten on the way. Lyndy took them out to the barn to see the horses in their new home. Zeke and Charlie were still there and greeted the older Cuttys, glad to see them again. As they were coming inside, Lyndy told them about waiting to have their family night together with them and shared her excitement about them doing it in their PJs. Doc and Ginny were pleased that Mitch and Amy were already starting important family traditions together.
The afternoon was spent talking about plans for the next day. Mitch asked his dad if he would be ready to lead a prayer during the celebration ceremony, but he did not reveal the surprise they intended for his parents in naming the stones. Doc said he'd be honored, and he mentioned that they would plan on attending church the next morning at the community church they'd attended before. Mitch and Amy felt they needed to stay and prepare for the day's activities, but Lyndy said she'd like to go with them. Ginny helped them get supper prepared, and she and Doc sat down to their first meal with the new official family in their home. They were so grateful that their son and his precious girls would now be making their own memories in the home that held so many sweet times for them.
They had a wonderful family night together that included lots of singing and playing games, including Chinese Checkers, and Doc and Ginny shared some stories of Mitch's growing up, much to Amy and Lyndy's delight. They forewent the movie this time since there was so much additional activity together. When it came time to get Lyndy to bed, she raced upstairs and came back down with her stuffed dog, hoping it might help keep Skye company through the night, but Amy stopped her warning that, with Skye still being a puppy, he would likely chew the dog up. At that point, Ginny suggested they wrap a hot water bottle in a cloth to lay beside him, and she promised Lyndy she'd take care of that for her when they put him to bed. That satisfied Lyndy's concern. Skye was taken upstairs with all of them to tuck Lyndy in. When she knelt to say her prayers, she had much to express…
"Dear God, what a special and fun day it's been! Thank you that we are all a family now in every way. Thank you for Mama and Daddy letting me have Skye and him being so perfect for our family and that we can give him the home he needed! Help me to do a good job in training him, with Mama and Daddy's help, of course. Thank you that Papa-Doc and Gram-Ginny got here safely and that they get to be with us a lot for the next few weeks. Thank you that we had such a great family night and that they could be with us for it. Watch over all of us while we sleep, and especially be with Skye because this is all so new to him. Help him not to be afraid. And help tomorrow be really special when we have our big, big family all here. We love you, God. Goodnight. In Jesus' name, Amen."
This was the first time Doc and Ginny had heard Lyndy pray, and they were really touched. Amy gently took Skye from Lyndy's arms, and she got up to give each adult a big hug. Mitch helped her into bed as he tucked the covers around her and kissed her forehead. She turned onto her side and snuggled into her pillow with a perfectly content look on her face as she closed her eyes, and the adults quietly left the room.
The two couples visited a little while longer with Mitch and Amy sharing about their honeymoon and showing photos. Mitch found a hot-water bottle and towel for his mom as she heated water for it. They put the puppy down for the night, and he seemed to settle in, then everyone headed back to get ready for bed while Mitch locked up and looked over his speech one last time.
Mitch and Amy read together, then about thirty minutes after retiring, having just gotten to sleep, they heard the puppy start to whimper. They both groaned, and Mitch said he'd go take care of him, but Amy suggested they give him a little while to see if he might self-sooth. They held their breath, waiting…. After about five minutes, he quit. They listened a little longer, and he seemed to be fine, so they rolled over and went back to sleep.
A/N: (1) Photo of Lyndy's new puppy will be posted on the following three Facebook groups: Kevin McGarry Fan Page Home of #McGarries and SuspendersUnbuttoned Podcast; Nathan Grant Fanfiction! Home of Sunday Night Serge; and The Heartie Analyzers: All things Kevin McGarry, KEVLA and WCTH.
(2) The scenario of Lyndy getting her new puppy is based very closely upon our family's experience when we got a puppy for our kids, though ours was a female cockapoo, and she was a perfect fit.