Little Differences

When we get home, I run up to the door and inside. “ButterScotch”, I call out to him. As if he already knows his name, he comes hopping out the kitchen with soap suds all over his body, being very careful not to put weight on his bad paw. “Hey butterscotch”, I say to him and he yelps back. Mom appears out of the kitchen with her cleaning gloves on. “I was just giving him a bath. He got so excited when he heard your voice that he climbed out the tub and ran in here to you”, she says with a giggle. “I missed you too boy”, I say while giving Butterscotch a tight hug. He yelps and licks me across the cheek. “Ewww, doggy slobber”, I say. Jessie and I fall out laughing.

It’s been two days and so far, no one has come to claim Butterscotch. I get my hopes up high that no one is going to come for him. I am snapped from my thoughts when the doorbell rings. It must be Jessie and Caramel coming over to visit Butterscotch. I look out the peep hole and there are three unfamiliar faces on the other side of the door.

“Who is at the door honey?”, Mom asks me. “I don’t know. Never seen them before”, I say. My heart starts beating fast. I get the feeling that they are here for Butterscotch. “Did the doorbell ring”, dad comes in and asks. “Yes, but I don’t think we should open the door. They look suspicious. Maybe they are intruders”, I say in a serious tone. Mom laughs and goes over to answer the door. “Hello, how can I help you”, mom says in her most professional voice. The little girl in front of the man and woman says, “We saw the signs you put up of our dog”. “Oh no!”, I say under my breath. It can’t be. “If he’s really your dog, why did it take you so long to come and get him”, I ask them. “We were in the process of moving when he ran off. We rode and looked for him everywhere, but we couldn’t find him”, the dark-haired woman explains.

Butterscotch comes into the living room and begins to yelp and hop up and down on his three good legs. “Brownie!”, the little girl shouts. Butterscotch – I mean – Brownie runs over to the little girl and she scoops him up from the floor.

He licks her face the same way he licked mine just a few minutes earlier. “Wow, he’s really happy to see you”, I say a little disappointed. “I guess, you better take him home now”, I say. “That’s just the thing we want to talk to you about”, the man with the thick eyebrows says.

“We were wondering if you all would like to keep Brownie”, the dark-haired woman chimes in. “Yeah, we must move to a smaller place and Brownie can’t come”, the little girl says sadly. “I would love to keep him. You can come see him anytime you want. Right?”, I say looking up at mom and dad. “Right”, they both say. “Goodbye, Brownie. I’m really going to miss you”, the girl says. “What’s your name”, I ask the little girl. “Cassie”, she says. “I’ll take good care of him, Cassie”, I assure her. “Thanks”, she says. “We should be going now”, the woman says. “They turn to leave, and Cassie turns around and gives Brownie one last glance. They leave, and I take Brownie outside to play fetch. “We’ll keep calling you Brownie”, I tell him. “That’s a cool name for a dog”, I say.