Extreme Joy

Beginning:

• Realizing Bailey is ours
• Holding her for the first time

Middle Events:

• Watching Bailey play
• Showing our neighbor

End:

• Driving home

PEOPLE:

• Breeder
• Mom
• Dad
• Cortney
• Carter

SENSES:

• Sight
• Fluffy, small
• Feel
• Soft, rough
• Hear
• Barking, laughter
• Smell
• Fresh, clean

The small, fluffy, puppy, squirms in the breeders arms. I'm standing here wondering why Mom chose to stop at her friends house right now. 

"Can I hold her?" I ask the breeder. 

"Of course" she says smiling at me. "After all, she is yours."

I stand there in shock as I stare at the dog. I glance at my mom and dad and they are both grinning from ear to ear. They nod at me and with the biggest grin on my face, I take the puppy. I turn to look at my sister and brother who are right behind me and I see Cortney, my sister, looking shocked. My brother, Carter, looks a little scared. 

"Carter, do you want to come pet her?" I say holding out the puppy. His eyes grow wide and he steps away shaking his head no. "Okay. Do you want to hold her Cortney?"

Cortney steps forward and then takes the puppy out of my arms.

"It's so fluffy!" She squeals.
"Careful, Cortney" My dad says as she holds the puppy very loosely. "You don't want to drop her."

"What's her name?" I ask the breeder.

"Bailey, but if you want to, you can change it. She's not totally used to the name Bailey yet."

Cortney sets Bailey down in the grass and we watch her run around and roll over and play. I get down on my knees and she runs over to me, tongue hanging out of her mouth. She gives me a bark and I laugh. 

After a while, we go back to the car and start back home. Bailey is sitting on my lap and I just can't stop grinning. She tilts her chin until she is looking right at me and she starts to lick my face. It's rough and wet. 

"Ew, Bailey, gross!" I say smiling. I bury my head into her fur. She smells clean and fresh. I just can't stop smiling as I think about how we've finally gotten a dog. Bailey.I think I like the name. I hope we keep it. I look down at Bailey and see her staring up at me with those big brown eyes and think about how with her in my life, it's never going to be the same.

•How old was I?
•How old was she?
•What other names did we think about?
•What made mom and dad decide to get a dog?
•How big is she now?