It was summer.  It was July.  It was a dream come true.  I had been begging for a new puppy for a long time.  I formulated an essay that wrote, “Dear Dad, if we don’t get a new puppy Milo will be depressed his whole life.” I then proceeded to get a petition signed by my teachers and fellow classmates, trying to persuade my dad into getting another dog.  He explained, “No we don’t need another dog.” The very next day, I received a text from him that was like receiving the gift I asked for on Christmas Day.  The text he sent that morning was a picture telling me, “Meet Maggie, your new puppy.”  He texted and told me that she’s an English Mastiff that we will be getting from his friend at work.   Immediately, I jumped ecstatically from all the excitement rushing through my body.  I asked, “When can we get her?”  He then proclaimed, “You have to wait until I clock out of work to meet her.”

The bright sun warmed my shoulders.  It was only ten in the morning, and I waited for what seemed was like days to finally head to Fort Wayne.  When we reached our destination, the GPS yelled, “Your destination has been reached.” My dad and I walked towards the back of the house where we saw the dogs and owners standing there waiting to greet us.  I was in awe at the sight of the mom and dad.  Their names were Remi and Pipe and they seemed to be as big as ponies.  Their big wrinkly faces watched your every step competing to greet me at the fence door to see who earned the most attention.   Their tails were as thick as papers on a teacher’s desk and their paws were the size of a three chalk erasers put together.   As big as they were I wasn’t afraid of them because their bronze eyes glistened like medals won in the Olympics that showed how welcome everyone was.  We opened the fence and stepped in when Remi, the dad, greeted me with a big bear hug.  His slimy nose, dirty from the dirt holes he had been digging in the yard rubbed my face.  Behind him stood ten excited puppies that squinted with confusion at the sight of new people.  Their necks held a silky ribbon of all colors to show which one was which. “The puppy with the purple ribbon is yours,” exclaimed the owners.  I rushed to the puppy with the purple ribbon to hold the new addition to our family.  Her caramel fur was that of a baby blanket; her body appeared chubby but fragile, and her ears looked as floppy as a bunny rabbits.  Right when I picked her up, she gave me goose bumps from the excitement I was felt, as I knew she would everyone else.   I felt as if I were ready to bring her home.  My dad and I decided we would head home to show the others.  She slept on my lap the two hours home, while I worried she would become overwhelmed from my family. The worried feeling I had about my family then shifted toward my other dog.

On the ride home, I hoped that my other baby would love her as much as I did.  Milo, my first dog, had always been my main focus, but I felt like he needed a friend.  Milo loves puppies, but little did he know that she would be staying with us forever.  Cradled like a baby, I carried Maggie into the house where my family swarmed to see the fur baby. Maggie started shaking because she wasn’t sure how respond to all of the people, but I could tell she loved Milo the first time she laid her clearly confused eyes on him.  Milo and Maggie had a connection right off the bat.  I was beyond thankful that their eyes lit up like fireworks on the 4th of July. They chomped on Iams dog food together, ran in the green grass together, and played with toy ropes the rest of the night. 

When bedtime arrived, Maggie was supposed to sleep in her cage, but they became inseparable.  I chose to let Maggie and Milo sleep in my bed together.  Right then, I realized they are my best friends, and they will never be replaced.