Bella (4 page)

Charles came in, still chewing on an apple. He joined Mom and Tina on the couch as Lizzie continued to read. “‘This week, my family is fostering a newborn puppy named Bella. Bella’s mom, Sissy, is sick, and Bella’s brothers died. Bella could have died, too. But she is going to make it. And I learned something from watching our dog, Buddy, help take care of Bella.’” Lizzie paused to give her next words special weight. She made eye contact with each of her audience members. Then she went on.

“‘It’s this: If you give birth to a baby, then you become a mom. But there are other ways to become a mom, too. A person can adopt a baby. A chicken
can sit on another chicken’s egg. A dog can take care of a fawn. Or a puppy can take care of an even younger, newborn puppy.’” Lizzie looked at Bella on Tina’s lap, with Buddy gazing up at her. That ache came into her throat again. But she managed to keep speaking.

“‘Being a mom is about more than having a baby. Being a mom is about loving and caring for someone who would not survive without your love and care.’” Lizzie went on, trying to read with lots of expression and hand gestures, as Mrs. Abeson had taught them. Finally, she finished. “‘In other words, if my puppy, Buddy, can be a mom, anybody can. Anybody can be a mom. All it takes is love.’” Lizzie looked up at Mom, Charles, and Tina. “The end,” she added.

They all clapped and cheered. Lizzie saw Tina pull a tissue out of her pocket and blow her nose. “That was beautiful.” She sniffled a little as she went back to stroking Bella.

Lizzie was impressed. Her speech had made somebody cry! “Thanks,” said Lizzie.

“No, thank
you
,” said Tina. “You helped me make a decision. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this, but I think I am. Since I am up all night anyway, I would like to offer to take care of Bella for the night shift, so you all can get some sleep.”

Mom turned to her. “Really? You would do that?”

“Sure,” said Tina. “It’s no trouble, really. She can sit on my lap while I work on the computer.”

“What about Buddy?” Charles asked. He was on the floor now, with his arms around Buddy. “Won’t he be upset if Bella goes away?”

Mom thought for a minute. “He usually goes to sleep for the night around the same time you two go to bed. As long as Bella isn’t crying in the night, he probably won’t wake up worrying about her.” She turned to Tina. “If I bring her over to your house after Buddy’s gone to sleep, it should be fine.”

Lizzie nodded. She had to admit that she kind of liked the idea of not hearing Bella cry in the night. Maybe she could get some sleep before her big speech tomorrow. “I think that will work,” she said.

Mom smiled at Tina. “It’s almost dinnertime — for us, anyway. If you don’t mind having lentil soup for breakfast, you’re welcome to join us.”

Tina looked surprised. Then she smiled. “That would be great,” she said. “It would give Buddy and Bella a chance to get to know me a little more.”

Bella sat on Tina’s lap throughout dinner, and Buddy stationed himself right under her feet. Tina told the Petersons more about what it was like to work for a Chinese company, and they told her about some of the other puppies they had fostered. She especially liked the stories Lizzie and Charles told about the naughtiest puppies, like Pugsley and Rascal.

Later that night, just after Lizzie had gone to bed, she heard the back door close. She knew it must be Mom, bringing Bella over to Tina’s. She held her breath, waiting to hear Buddy start whining when he realized “his” puppy was gone, but thankfully the house stayed quiet. Lizzie drifted off to sleep, practicing her Persuasive Essay speech even in her dreams.

She woke with a start early the next morning when Buddy stuck his cold, wet nose under her covers. Buddy whined a little and paced restlessly to the door of her room and back, as if he were looking for something. “She’s not here, Buddy,” Lizzie told him. She patted the bed. “Bella’s safe and sound next door. Come on up and go back to sleep. It’s barely light out yet.” Buddy jumped onto the bed. “Mmm,” said Lizzie. “Good boy.” She pulled up her cozy covers and rolled over to go back to sleep. But then Buddy jumped off again
and went back to the door, looking at her over his shoulder and whimpering softly.

“Okay, okay,” said Lizzie. She stumbled out of bed and went to the window. Sure enough, there was a light on at Tina’s, next door. Any minute, Tina would be coming outside to get her paper and watch the sun rise — and no doubt she would have Bella with her. Lizzie decided to take Buddy out to meet them.

Lizzie tiptoed downstairs and pulled on a jacket over her nightgown, then let herself and Buddy out the front door. Almost at the same time, Tina’s door opened and she came out onto her front steps with Bella in her arms. Lizzie smiled and waved to Tina, and Tina waved back. Then Tina put Bella down on the grass.

When Buddy spotted the tiny puppy, he galloped over, screeching to a halt just in time to avoid knocking her over. He wagged his tail hard
as he sniffed and sniffed. He put his front paws down and his rear end up in a “want-to-play?” pose, then sprang into the air and did three quick, joyful laps around Tina’s front yard.

I’m so happy to see you
!

Finally, he came back to Bella and settled down next to her so she could cuddle up close. With a contented little sigh, Bella snuggled up to Buddy’s warm belly.

I’m happy to see you, too
.

“How did she do last night?” Lizzie asked Tina.

“She was great,” Tina answered. “She didn’t cry at all — at least, as long as I was right there with her. She ate every few hours, but she slept a lot, too.” Tina put a hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. “Lizzie,
what would you think if I said I’d like to adopt Bella? I’ve fallen completely in love with her and I’d like to give her a home here with me.”

Lizzie’s mouth fell open. “Really? That would be — that would be the best thing ever!” Lizzie had been worrying about how attached Buddy had become to Bella, and how hard it would be for him when they had to give her up to a forever family. But now Bella’s forever family would be right next door.

Lizzie and Tina sat on Tina’s front step as the sun rose, talking about how much fun it would be to watch Bella grow up, and how happy Buddy would be to have his beloved Bella as a neighbor.

But when Lizzie went inside to tell her family the great news, Mom just shook her head. “Lizzie,” she said, “Bella may not be ours to give away.”

Lizzie was stunned. “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet,” said Mom. “Ms. Dobbins called last night after you were asleep. Remember when she told us about Sissy, Bella’s mother? She was so sick, but she’s feeling a little better. Alexandra, her owner, is bringing Sissy up for a visit later this afternoon. You’ll meet them both when you come home from school. Maybe Bella belongs with her mom now.”

“But — ” Lizzie couldn’t believe it. “But Tina is the perfect person to adopt Bella. They belong together!”

“Technically, Bella still belongs to Alexandra,” Mom said gently. “She’s the one who gets to decide who Bella will live with. Maybe she wants to keep Bella herself.”

Lizzie trudged off to school that morning, feeling miserable. This had never happened before. The Petersons had always been in charge of finding the perfect forever home for every puppy they fostered.

Mom had promised to explain the situation when Tina brought Bella over. Lizzie sighed. At least Buddy and Bella would not understand that they might soon be separated. And at least Lizzie would not have to be there to see Tina’s sweet smile disappear when she heard the news.

Lizzie was not sure she would have the heart to give her Persuasive Essay speech in front of the whole class. She had been excited about revealing the secret of Bella to Maria, now that
Bella was not only thriving but had found a home. But now the home might not work out — and would Bella still thrive if she didn’t have Buddy nearby?

When her turn came, Lizzie decided to pretend she was giving the speech to Alexandra, Ms. Dobbins’s friend. If Bella’s owner could hear the speech, maybe she would understand that Bella and Buddy should not be separated.

“Okay, Lizzie, you’re on,” said Mrs. Abeson, after Noah had finished his speech on “Why Kids Should Get to Choose Their Own Bedtimes.”

Lizzie walked up to the front of the classroom, her heart beating hard. She turned to face the class and cleared her throat. She stood up straight and tall. She took a deep breath. And then she began, imagining that she was talking to Alexandra. “‘Anybody can be a mom,’” she said, slowly and clearly.

A few minutes later, it was all over. Everyone
clapped, including Ms. Abeson. “Very good, Lizzie,” she said. “Very convincing.”

“That was great,” Maria whispered, when Lizzie got back to her desk. “I can guess why you didn’t tell me about Bella before. I’m glad she’s going to make it.”

Lizzie managed a smile. “Thanks,” she said. “I was going to ask you home today to meet Bella. But now I don’t know if you’ll ever get to meet her.” She told Maria about how Bella’s real owner was coming to see her.

When Lizzie arrived home from school, she saw an unfamiliar red car in the driveway. Her heart began to thud again, just as it had before her speech. She could hardly stand the idea of saying good-bye to Bella, but she felt even sorrier for Buddy. The two puppies had become so close. How could anybody bear to separate them? She also felt terrible for Tina, who had given her heart to
Bella. It would be so hard to see her have to say good-bye. Lizzie squared her shoulders as she pushed open the front door, preparing herself for the bad news.

But it turned out that the news was not bad. It was not bad at all. There, in the living room, sat Tina with Bella in her lap and Buddy at her feet. She smiled and waved at Lizzie. So did Mom, and so did the woman who sat next to her on the couch. “Hi, I’m Alexandra,” said the woman. She petted the pretty little red and white cocker spaniel who lay next to her. “And this is Sissy.”

Lizzie smiled back. She had no idea why everybody looked so happy, but she had a pretty good idea that she would find out soon.

“Can I pet Sissy?” Lizzie asked. “She’s pretty.”

“As long as you’re gentle,” said Alexandra. “She’s still not quite herself. That’s why I’m so glad to hear that Tina would like to adopt Bella.”

Lizzie felt her heart lift.

“Really?” “Isn’t that great, Lizzie?” Mom asked, beaming.

“It’s the right thing. I’m sure of it,” said Alexandra. “I’m so grateful to your family for saving Bella’s life.” “And I can see that Bella and Buddy will be lifelong friends. Bella was so busy playing with Buddy that she barely sniffed at Sissy when we came in. That’s good news, since Sissy would not be up to taking care of Bella the way Buddy and all of you have been.”

“Lizzie even wrote a paper for school about Buddy being a great mom,” said Mom. “It’s a Persuasive Essay. She had to give it as a speech today.”

“Mom!” Lizzie felt herself blush.

“Really?” Alexandra asked. “Would you give it again? I’d love to hear it.”

“I’d like to hear it again, too,” said Tina. “It was very persuasive. It convinced me to try taking care of Bella.” She smiled down at the puppy. “And — I have some other news. Taking care of Bella convinced me that maybe I am ready to be a mom, after all. I’ve been thinking for a long time about adopting a baby girl from China, and I’ve finally decided to do it. I submitted the application just before I came over.”

“Wow!” said Lizzie. “Really? Can I babysit?”

“Definitely,” Tina said. “As soon as you’re both old enough.”

Lizzie stood there smiling. Everything had worked out so perfectly. Bella would grow up right next door, so she and Buddy could always be friends. And soon there would be a new baby next door, too!

“Speech, speech,” called Mom. “Let’s hear it.” Lizzie went to stand by the fireplace. She
cleared her throat. She stood up straight and tall, and took a deep breath. “This speech is dedicated to Bella and Tina,” she said. “The newest members of our neighborhood.” And then she began.

Newborn puppies grow and change so fast. If you ever get a chance to be around some new puppies, it might be fun to keep a journal each day and write down changes. You can record the day the puppies’ eyes open, the day they learn to walk and explore their home, and the day they begin to get used to eating real food. Puppies are ready to leave their mom when they are seven or eight weeks old, and by then they are usually playful, mischievous, and a whole lot of fun.

Dear Reader,

My friends Chris and Kerry adopted a puppy, a tiny border collie mix, when she was only two weeks old and all alone in the world. They kept her warm and fed her from a bottle. Even though they weren’t sure at first that she would make it, she did. Today Tassie is a strong, healthy dog who loves to run and play.

Yours from the Puppy Place,

Ellen Miles

P.S. If you want to read about another gentle puppy, check out SCOUT.

Baxter

Bear

Bella

Buddy

Chewy and Chica

Cody

Flash

Goldie

Honey

Jack

Lucky

Maggie and Max

Muttley

Noodle

Patches

Princess

Pugsley

Rascal

Scout

Shadow

Snowball

Sweetie

Ziggy