Bella (3 page)

When she came back out, the girl was holding Mom’s lasagna pan. She carried it across the driveway in her robe and pajamas and slippers. As she got closer, Lizzie realized that she wasn’t a girl at all. She was a woman, an Asian woman with a very small build and long black hair. Lizzie was disappointed. She had begun to think she might have a new friend next door.

The woman smiled shyly as she handed over the clean, empty pan. “That was the best lasagna I ever had,” she said. “I ate a ton of it and there was still some left over to freeze for another meal. Please thank your mother. Did you help make it?”

Lizzie nodded. “It’s Mom’s recipe. But I’ve helped her lots of times. I could probably even make it myself.”

“I’m Tina Wu,” said the woman, sticking out her hand.

“I’m Lizzie Peterson.” Lizzie fumbled with Bella so she could shake hands with Tina. “And this is Bella,” she added.

Tina gasped. “I didn’t even see her! What a tiny puppy. She must be a newborn. Is that her mom, the cute little brown dog I’ve seen in your backyard?”

Lizzie giggled. “No, that’s our puppy, Buddy. He’s very interested in Bella, but we have to keep him away because she’s so young and he could hurt her by mistake. Bella is a foster puppy. She’s only four weeks old. Her mom is very sick so we’re raising her by hand, feeding her from a bottle.”

Tina raised her eyebrows. “That can’t be easy.”

“It’s not,” said Lizzie. “But I’m glad we’re doing it. It’s a real experience, that’s for sure. We have fostered lots of puppies, but never a newborn.”

Tina sat down on the Petersons’ front steps. “Could I hold her for a second? I’ve never held a puppy that young. I don’t know if I’ve ever
seen
a puppy that young.”

Carefully, Lizzie passed Bella over. “She’s very sleepy, since she just ate.” Lizzie stretched out her arms and yawned.

“You look pretty sleepy yourself,” Tina said to Lizzie as she cradled Bella. She bent to nuzzle the puppy’s head. “Oh, her fur is so soft. She’s lovely.”

“She’d be lovelier if she would sleep through the night,” said Lizzie. “She cries all the time. I guess she’s lonely.” She told Tina about how Bella’s brothers had died.

“Poor girl,” Tina said. “I bet she misses them a lot. I can just picture a bunch of puppies snuggling together with their mom. It wouldn’t be easy
for humans to make up for that kind of warmth and connection.” She turned her face to the rising sun. “Here it comes,” she said. “Don’t you love to watch the sun come up?”

Lizzie laughed. “I don’t see that happen too much. I’m usually in bed. I like sunsets, though.”

“I don’t see much of the sun at all,” said Tina. “I work for a Chinese company, and they are twelve hours ahead of us, so I’m in my home office all night emailing back and forth. Then I have dinner at 5
A.M.
or so, and go to bed soon after the sun rises.” She shrugged and laughed. “It’s kind of weird, I know. But I’m used to it.”

The mystery was solved, just like that. Lizzie couldn’t wait to tell Maria. The answer was so simple. But Lizzie thought it must be lonesome to be Tina, on an opposite schedule from everyone else’s.

As if Tina had read her mind, she said, “On weekends, once I’m moved in and settled, I hope
to spend time with my nieces and nephews. I have a lot of them in this town. That’s why I moved here, to be closer to them.” In her arms, Bella opened her eyes and looked in surprise at the new person.

Who are you
?

Tina smiled down at her. “It’s okay, little one,” she murmured. And Bella closed her eyes, snuggled against Tina’s chest, and went back to sleep. “Someday maybe I’ll have kids of my own,” said Tina, as if she were thinking out loud. “I have thought about adopting, but I’m not sure I’m ready to be a single mom. That’s a big responsibility.”

“My brother Adam is adopted,” Lizzie said. “I can hardly remember the time before he came to live with us, though. It seems like the Bean has always been part of our family.”

“The Bean?” Tina laughed. “Great nickname.”

Lizzie told Tina how frightened she’d been about the responsibility of taking care of Bella. “I’m still scared, sometimes,” she confessed. “Like when she won’t stop crying.”

“She must miss her mom and brothers so much,” said Tina. “She must feel all alone in the world.”

Lizzie smiled at Tina. She liked sitting on the steps with this new person, talking quietly as the rest of the neighborhood began to wake up. Tina was so easy to talk to. Maybe she would have a new friend next door, after all. But it was probably time to start getting ready for school. “I’d better go in,” she said, standing up. “Want to meet the rest of my family?”

Tina shook her head. “Not when I’m in my p.j.'s,” she said. “I’ll stop over later and say hello.” She handed Bella back to Lizzie, giving the puppy one last kiss on the head. “Nice to meet you,
Bella,” she whispered. “Nice to meet you, Lizzie.” Then she turned and headed back to her house.

Lizzie looked down at Bella, nestled in her arms. “Hey, little girl,” she said softly. “You drank almost a whole bottle before we came out here. I bet you have to pee.” She put the puppy down on the grass. Bella took a moment to wake up and get her legs under her, but then she began to totter off toward the apple tree. She sniffed the air excitedly as she picked her way through the grass.

Hello, world
!

She went surprisingly fast on those little legs of hers. Lizzie loved the way her tail stuck straight up in the air.

Then Bella squatted and peed.

“Good girl!” Lizzie clapped her hands and cheered. “Your first time outside, just like a big
girl. What a good, good puppy.” She scooped Bella up and carried her back inside. Lizzie was surprised that nobody else was up yet, but when she checked the clock she saw that it was still early. In the kitchen, she put Bella into her box for a moment so she could get herself some cereal and warm some more formula.

Then, right there in her box, Bella squatted and peed again.

“Oh, Bella.” Lizzie shook her head. “You just peed outside!” Lizzie knew Bella couldn’t help it. That was just how puppies were, sometimes. When they had to go, they had to go. But now Bella’s box was kind of gross. The newspaper lining was soggy, and after many, many pees and other messes the cardboard smelled stinky and was beginning to come apart. “I think it’s time for a new box,” Lizzie told the puppy.

She picked Bella up and tucked her carefully between two cushions on the couch, putting a pillow across the front so Bella could not climb out. “Hopefully you don’t have any more pee in you,”
she said, as she petted the puppy’s head. Bella gazed up at her with innocent eyes.

Pee? Me
?

“I’ll be right back,” Lizzie told Bella. “I’m just going to run into the garage to find a new box.”

The crying started before Lizzie was even out the door. Bella’s whimpers were so heartbreaking. Every time she cried, Lizzie knew she was crying for her brothers and mother.

Lizzie dashed into the garage and rummaged around for the right-sized box, big enough so Bella would have one area for sleeping and one area for making her messes — but not so big that it wasn’t cozy, too.

When she came back into the kitchen, the house was quiet. Bella was not crying anymore. Lizzie sighed with relief. Maybe Bella had fallen
asleep on the couch, or maybe she was finally learning to be okay on her own. Either way, no crying was good news. Lizzie grabbed the chance to do what she had meant to do before: make herself a bowl of cereal and warm some formula. She bustled around the quiet kitchen as the sun’s rays began to find their way in through the windows.

Then she stopped moving, to listen. Bella was
still
silent. Five minutes alone without crying. That was practically a record for her. Could something be wrong? Fear clutched at Lizzie’s chest. She grabbed the bottle she’d warmed and ran into the living room.

“Oh, no!” She dashed to the couch. “Buddy, no! Bad boy.” Buddy was curled up next to Bella on the couch, one paw over the tiny puppy’s back as he licked her face.

Lizzie picked Buddy up and put him down on the floor. “You know you’re supposed to stay away
from her,” she said sternly. Right away, Bella began to cry.

Lizzie sat down on the couch and took Bella in her arms. “It’s okay, little one,” she murmured. “The big doggy didn’t mean to scare you.” Bella’s cries slowed as she settled into Lizzie’s warm lap.

Buddy looked up at Lizzie, eyes wide and ears back, and lifted a paw.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be naughty
.

Lizzie knew just what Buddy was trying to tell her. “I know you didn’t mean to be bad,” she said, reaching out to pat Buddy’s head. Buddy scooted closer and leaned against Lizzie’s knee, licking her hand as he gazed up at her. “You really are a sweetie,” Lizzie told him. “You wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Lizzie thought about that. Buddy really was a very gentle, sweet puppy. He had been so quiet and well-behaved around Bella, never jumpy or excited. She thought about what Tina Wu had said, that it would be hard for humans to make up for the warmth and comfort of another dog. Maybe it was wrong to keep Buddy separate from Bella. Maybe it was taking him
away
that had made the puppy cry. Maybe another dog’s company was exactly what she needed.

Lizzie made up her mind. “Buddy, come on up,” she said, patting the couch next to her. Why not try it right now, while she was there to watch them together? Eagerly, Buddy leapt onto the couch. “Can you be a nice, gentle boy?” she asked him, looking deep into his beautiful brown eyes. Buddy did not look away. His ears perked up and he thumped his tail.

Whatever you want, I can do it
.

“Lie down, Buddy,” Lizzie said. Obediently, Buddy curled up on the couch. Lizzie set Bella down next to him. Right away, Bella snuggled up to Buddy’s belly. She sighed contentedly and scooched in even closer. Buddy gave her head a gentle lick and glanced up at Lizzie.

Is that okay
?

“That’s good, Buddy,” said Lizzie. “Good boy.” She petted him and her eyes filled with tears. So what if Buddy was a boy puppy? He could act just like a mother to Bella. Lizzie remembered pictures someone had emailed her once of a big brown dog who took care of a baby fawn. Animals could be foster parents just like people could.

Mom and Dad were surprised when they came downstairs and saw Buddy and Bella together,
but Lizzie quickly explained, telling them about how she’d met their new neighbor and how Tina had given her the idea to let Buddy cuddle with Bella.

“Dr. Gibson always gets in to her office early,” said Mom, checking the clock. “I’ll give her a call to ask if this is okay.”

Dad sat next to Lizzie. “They look so happy together,” he said. “Who knew Buddy could be a mom?”

A few minutes later, Mom came back into the room. “Dr. Gibson says it should be fine,” she reported. “She said Ms. Dobbins was right — in most cases, a newborn pup should be kept separate from older dogs. But Buddy is such a sweetie, and he’s very healthy, so there’s no risk of disease. Dr. Gibson thinks it’s a great idea. So do I. It’ll sure make my day easier if I don’t have to keep Buddy away, and Bella looks so much calmer, cuddled up with him.” She came over and rested
her hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. “Good thinking, Lizzie.”

Lizzie had just enough time before school to find and set up a new box for Bella, one that Buddy could fit into as well. And an hour later, she sat in class working happily on her brand-new, totally excellent idea for a Persuasive Essay.

Lizzie put down her pencil and shook out her hand. She smiled down at the paper on her desk. She was pleased with her new essay. And she’d finished it just in time: tomorrow was the day that everyone had to read their essays out loud in front of the whole class.

“What’s it about?” Maria whispered from the desk next to hers. Maria was writing about “Horseback Riding: A Sport for Everyone.” She had been inspired by a program at the stable where she took riding lessons. With the help of trained volunteers, disabled kids who could barely walk were learning how to ride horses.

“It’s a surprise,” said Lizzie, wiggling her eyebrows mysteriously. Even though she was pretty sure by now that Bella was going to make it, she still wasn’t ready to tell Maria the secret. She wanted to wait until she was one hundred percent sure that Bella would live. She stretched and yawned. She was so, so tired from taking care of Bella. Fostering a newborn puppy had turned out to be way more work than she had expected. And it might still be weeks until Bella was old enough and strong enough to go to a new home.

Somehow, Lizzie managed to make it through the day without falling asleep at her desk. She brought her essay home from school so she could practice reading it out loud. Fortunately, Lizzie wasn’t shy about standing up in front of the whole class to talk. She remembered last year when Brianna had started to cry during her oral report on the planet Neptune. That would never happen
to Lizzie. But still, it was always good to practice in front of an audience.

When Lizzie pushed open the door at home, something felt different. What was it? Then she realized. No Buddy! For the first time she could remember, Buddy did not run to the door to greet her. No doggy kisses, no jumping up, no wagging tail. “Buddy!” Lizzie called. “Mom?” Where was everybody? Had something happened to Bella? Lizzie felt a twinge of fear.

“We’re up here,” called Mom, from her study.

Lizzie pounded up the stairs and down the hall. There was Mom at her desk. On the floor by her feet were Buddy and Bella, curled up cozily together in Bella’s new box.

Mom grinned at Lizzie. “Hi, sweetie,” she said. “Look at them. They’re so happy together! Buddy hasn’t left her side all day.”

Buddy opened one eye and looked up at Lizzie. He thumped his tail.

See what a good job I’m doing
?

His thumping tail woke Bella up. She stretched out a tiny pink paw and yawned a tiny pink yawn.

Is it time for more food
?

Lizzie sat down next to the box to pet both puppies. “Good boy, Buddy,” she said. “You’re taking such good care of Bella.” She stroked Bella’s tummy with one finger. “Did she eat a lot today?” she asked Mom. “Her tummy looks very round.”

Mom nodded. “She ate lots of the puppy chow slurry. I only had to give her one bottle.”

“Yay, Bella!” Lizzie petted the puppy’s soft fur. Carefully, she picked Bella up. She was definitely growing. Lizzie was sure the little girl puppy weighed more now than she had in the morning. Suddenly, just like that, Lizzie felt all her fear fall away. With Buddy’s help, Bella really was going
to make it. Buddy scrambled to his feet and put his head on Lizzie’s knee so he could stay close to Bella.

Lizzie petted his head. “Mom, can I read you my Persuasive Essay?” Lizzie asked.

“Sure,” Mom said. “I just finished some work, and I don’t have to pick up the Bean from day care for another hour.” Mom tapped a few keys on her computer and put it to sleep.

Lizzie put Bella back into her box, then rummaged in her backpack and pulled out her essay. She couldn’t wait for Mom to hear it. But first, she had to get ready to read. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall just like Mrs. Abeson had taught them, and took a deep breath.

“Okay. It’s called —”

The front door slammed. “Where is everybody?” Charles yelled from downstairs. “How’s Bella? Where’s Buddy?”

Lizzie gave an exasperated sigh. Charles had
been riding his bike home from school lately with Sammy, his best friend from next door. They liked to take the long way home, exploring a different neighborhood every day, so he always got home later than Lizzie.

“We’re all up here,” Mom called. “Bella’s fine. There are apples in the bowl on the counter.”

Lizzie could hear Charles heading into the kitchen. She picked up her essay again. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall, took a deep breath, and got ready to read. “As I was saying, it’s called —”

The doorbell rang.

Lizzie threw up her hands. Was she ever going to get to read her essay?

“Who could that be?” Mom said. She got up to go downstairs, and Lizzie followed her. There at the front door was Tina Wu.

“Hi,” she said. “You must be Mrs. Peterson. Lizzie and I met this morning, but I wanted to
introduce myself. I’m Tina Wu, your new neighbor. Thanks so much for the delicious lasagna.”

“Come in, come in,” said Lizzie’s mom. “Lizzie told me about your topsy-turvy schedule, so I’ll say good morning instead of good afternoon! You must be up early today.”

Lizzie smiled, trying to hide her impatience. She was glad to see Tina again, but now she was going to have to wait to read her essay. She really, really wanted Mom to hear it.

Mom must have noticed. “Lizzie was just about to read an essay to me,” she said to Tina. “Maybe she’d like a bigger audience.”

“I’d love to hear it,” said Tina.

Lizzie ran upstairs to get her essay. She decided to bring Bella downstairs, too. “Come on, Buddy,” she said, nudging him out of the box. Bella whimpered a little, but stopped as soon as Lizzie picked her up. Buddy followed right at Lizzie’s heels as she went back downstairs.

“Oh, can I hold her?” Tina asked, as soon as she saw Bella. “She’s so adorable.”

Lizzie brought Bella over, and Tina began to pet the tiny puppy. Bella looked completely at home cuddled up in Tina’s lap. Buddy sat at Tina’s feet, leaning against the couch and gazing up at Bella.

Lizzie picked up her essay and stood in front of the fireplace. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall, and took a deep breath. “My essay is called ‘Anybody Can Be a Mom,’” she began.