You Stayed With Us

The Fluffiest Addition

"I miss you too, sweetheart. And I promise you'll never stop being my baby girl. Even when the twins are here. You were my first. And I love you so much, baby. There's always room for you. Always."

She sniffled against my shoulder but smiled when she pulled back.

"Okay. I believe you."

Then, like a flip had switched, she gasped and pointed.

"Dada! Look at that dog!"

A man was walking a English Buldog a few feet ahead of us. Ella practically melted into a puddle on the sidewalk.

"She's so cute," she whispered like she was seeing a real-life Disney character.

I watched her watch the dog. And I couldn't ignore the feeling in my chest.

She'd been asking for a puppy for a year now. And maybe... maybe this was the day.

"You still want a dog?" I asked casually.

She looked at me like I'd just asked if she wanted to live in a candy store.

"YES!"

"What if we got one? Like... today?"

"WHAT?!" She screamed again, drawing glances from nearby people, but I didn't care.

"Do you mean it? For real for real?"

"For real for real," I grinned.

The pet shop was chaos. Happy, tail-wagging, squealing chaos.

There were puppies of every shape and size, sleepy kittens in glass displays, colorful fish swimming in circles, and—much to my horror—an entire shelf of tarantulas that I had to drag Ella away from before I bought one just for fun.

We looked at corgis, beagle, pomeranians, even a chow chow that licked the glass when Ella waved.

But nothing compared to when she met the golden retriever pup.

The second the little guy saw Ella, he ran straight to her, tail wagging like a fan on high speed. He licked her face over and over, and she giggled so hard she fell back onto the padded play area.

"I love him!" she squealed. "Dada, this is him! This is my puppy!"

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

"Okay, okay," I said, pulling out my phone to take photos of her and her new best friend. "Let's get him and all the things he needs."

We walked out of that pet store an hour later with one happy golden retriever, a mountain of dog supplies, and a daughter who couldn't stop smiling.

When we got home, the house was still quiet. Jennie was still out with Irene. Good. Because the moment she walked in, she was definitely going to have words with me.

Ella helped me set up the dog's bed and water bowl in the living room. We hadn't even decided on a name yet, but he already looked like he belonged.

"Mommy's gonna freak out," Ella giggled as she placed a plush toy in the dog's bed.

"I know," I said, grinning like a fool. "But in a good way... I hope."

As the puppy curled beside Ella's feet and she leaned her head on my arm, I looked around the room and took a deep breath.

Our family just got bigger.

And somehow, it felt even more complete.

_______________

Jennie's POV

I stepped into the house with the scent of lavender oil still lingering on my skin, fresh from the spa with Irene. My body felt a bit lighter, my mind a little clearer, and the tension I didn't even realize I was holding had unraveled under skilled fingers and aromatic candles.