🙂 It’s Tuesday again, time for #Blogbattle

#BlogBattle is a weekly short story challenge using a single word for inspiration.  Hosted by the talented Rachael Ritchey.  Feel free to join in, or click here to read the current week’s stories and vote for your favorites.

This week’s word:  Pure

Genre:  Contemporary

Pure Love

Ever since she was a little girl, my daughter Evie longed for a puppy of her own. Being a dog-lover myself, and knowing how it was to grow up with a dog, I also wanted this for my daughter. My husband was not a dog-lover, but wanting to make his baby girl happy, he agreed that one-day we would get a dog. But as the days passed, there was always something to prevent us from getting that dog. Mainly, the cost of having a dog and the fact that we rented our home instead of owning it. But how do you explain to a spunky little girl that it would be difficult to keep the dog fed and cared for, when we were struggling to make ends meet and keep our family fed. So we pacified her with many life-like stuffed animals. With every holiday, or every glimpse of an adorable puppy, made my daughter exclaim, “I wish I had a puppy.”

As she got older, we were able to explain to her our situation while renting a home, and how some landlords did not allow pets. She seemed to understand and accept that as a good reason. But her dad promised her, when we got our own home, we would get a dog.

As the years ticked by, and with the dawn of social media and smart phones, Evie’s love for puppies grew. Every day as I signed into my Facebook account, I was usually greeted with a picture or even a video of some adorable puppy. It was our thing. Even as a teenager, she longed for that fluffy, cuddly goodness. Just the picture of one sent her into squeals of delight…well momentarily…she was after all a teenager.

Several difficult years have passed, along with the unexpected passing of my husband. We were left with nothing. Therefore, the kids and I had to move in with my mom. Through our grief, I knew if we had a puppy, it would help with the stress and sadness, but my mom was adamant against having any type of pet in her house. We especially couldn’t afford it now.

It was difficult at first, but we were able to get through. Even in her grief, my daughter was there with me, helping with her younger brother, and concentrating on her studies. She kept her grades up all through high school, even earning scholarships to continue her education. She decided to attend a local college, at least for the first couple of years.

Now that I own my own home, I knew it was time to fulfill that promise my husband made to our daughter so long ago. I am so proud of the young woman she has become that I just want to make her happy. Even though she is a young woman now, with her own life and her future ahead of her, she still lives here at home. I witness all too often the stress that college brings. I pray that she will be just as excited about this gift, as she would have been had she gotten it years ago.

I was able to find a purebred Golden Retriever, just like she always wanted. I also purchased everything that is needed for our new pup.

When she comes home from class, she walks in the door, and drops her backpack in the hall, and begins to furiously text on her phone. “How was class honey?”

“Ugh!! Don’t ask.” She grunts, not even looking up from her phone or losing any texting momentum.

“Hey Sweetie, you got a minute?”

Her fingers stop, and she slips the phone in her back pocket, “Sure mom, what’s up?”

“Let’s go into the living room, have a seat on the couch.”

“Uh-oh, this can’t be good.”

“Oh I’m sorry honey, there’s nothing wrong, honest. I have a surprise for you. I am so proud of the hard work that you have put into your studies, and….well…just sit there, I’ll be right back.” I stutter, too excited myself, I run into the other room to get the puppy.

Before I come out, I yell down the hall, “Close your eyes honey.”

He’s a squirmy little fellow, but I hold on to him until I am standing in the doorway to the living room. I bend down, and release him out of my arms, as I tell her to open her eyes. He lops right over to her, she falls to her knees on the floor and scoops him up, as tears stream down her face.

“Oh. My. Gosh. Mom. Are you freaking kidding me? A puppy? Look at ‘em….he’s so adorable…he’s ours?” She says all through tears as she wrestles with the little golden fur ball.

“Yes, he’s yours honey.” I say trying to hold back my own tears, but not doing a very good job of it. This expression of pure joy on my daughter’s face is priceless. Not to mention the pure love emanating from this adorable, little fluff ball, as he squirms, and licks at her tears; tail wagging with abandon.

I sit down on the floor next to her, wrap my arms around her and the pup and hug them both. “Your dad promised you we’d get a dog, so I wanted to keep his promise to you. He’d be so proud of you sweetheart. I just wish he were here to see that gorgeous smile on your face. I love you honey.”

“Thanks mom, I love you too. I want to think that he is here with us, you know?”

Just then the pup runs towards the kitchen and stops before he hits the kitchen floor, and starts barking. Just as quickly as he took off, he returns to us with his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out, with a smile of his own on his face.

© 2016 Carrie Ann