This month's guest author, S. Usher Evans, shares a touching story with us. Grab a tissue. Hug your dog.
"A dog
has the best day of his life."
***
I had the
best day ever today.
I awoke
between my mom and my dad as I had since I was a puppy. I crawled in-between
them and lay my head on my mom's chest. She scratched my ears and told me I was
a good boy. Dad asked if I needed to go outside, and I wagged my tail. I
followed him outside where I peed on my favorite bush. Dad asked if I wanted to
get the ball—I always want to get the ball!—and he threw it and
I brought it back to him as many times as I could.
I smelled
breakfast and Dad took me back inside. Mom was in the kitchen, my favorite
place, at the place that made the good smells. My bowl was empty, and I sat by
it, hoping Mom would see that I was hungry, too. My eyes widened and my tail
thumped wildly when she brought a plate of yummy yellow food and red strips to
the floor.
"Good
boy, Bernie," she said, and I attacked the plate. It tasted so good—the
yellow food was hot and delicious and the red strips salty and crunchy. I finished
my plate in a matter of seconds, and Mom laughed and gave me more.
My stomach
was so full of good things I laid down and smiled. Mom said, "I love you,
Bernie" and I kissed her face. She tasted a bit salty, so I made sure I
cleaned her up. She smiled and laughed, and I had done my job. She rubbed my
belly and my ears and I was happy.
Dad announced
we were going for a walk and I sprung to my feet. Dad got my leash and tried to
put it on, but I was so excited that I nearly knocked him over. He hooked the
leash to my collar and I flew to the door, the long strip flowing behind me. I
waited impatiently for Mom and Dad to join me—they are always so
slow—and when they were ready, we left the house to the
smelly-ful world outside.
It wasn't
hot, but my tongue hung out of my mouth in excitement. I was on a walk, and
walks meant new smells and new things to pee on. I marked every tree that
smelled like something else.That's my job, you know, to show where I have been.
Mom and Dad were patient and stopped every time I did. They smiled down at me
and told me I was a good boy.
When we
arrived at the park, Dad took off my leash and let me run. My favorite place
was the pond. I could splash in the water and chase the flying things all day.
One of them was large and snapped at me, so I ran back to Mom and Dad who
laughed so hard they cried.
I met two new
friends—Zoe and Pepper. They wrestled and tumbled in the cool grass
and let me chase them. I was tired from running, and I could not keep up. Mom
and Dad came to get me and told me it was time to go home. I wagged my tail—I
loved going home, especially when Mom and Dad were there with me.
When we got
home, I took several gulps of water and lay on the couch. Mom sat next to me
and rubbed my ears and my belly, calling me her "sweet baby boy." I
made sure to give her lots of kisses, she sounded sad and it was my job to
cheer her up. I climbed on top of her and gave her all the smooches I could
give, until she was red-faced with laughter.
Dad made
chicken for dinner, and I was allowed to have my very own piece! I gobbled it
up as quickly as my breakfast, and asked for more. Dad gave me his food and
told me I was a "good boy." I had never been so lucky to have chicken
and potatoes, but I didn't care for the green stuff. Mom gave me a cold peanut
butter chewy after, and I licked and gnawed at it to my heart's desire. My tail
thumped happily on the ground, and Mom and Dad laughed until they cried.
I smelled a
new person at the door. She came in with a bag and a sad face, and Mom started
crying. They spoke words I didn't understand, but I heard my name. Mom and Dad
came over and sat down next to me. Mom was crying, and I lay my head on her
lap, licking her hand. Dad rubbed my ears, and I saw he was crying too.
"I love
you, Bernie," Mom said, kissing my forehead.
"You're
a good boy, Bernie," Dad said, rubbing my belly.
"I love
you, too," I said through my eyes. "Thank you for the best day
ever."
***
If you want
more feels-inducing work, check out S. Usher Evans' stand alone fantasy story, Empath.
Author Bio
S. Usher
Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola,
Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington,
D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National
Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an
IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting
was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She
sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently
resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.
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