Adopting Jenny Read Free Page A

man. “Thank you for bringing them by… Todd. We’ll take good care of them.”
    Todd nodded vigorously, the ends of his beard bobbing. “Sue thinks you guys are the best. If anyone can make these dogs a family, it’s you guys. If you have any trouble, you give us a call in the morning.”
    As Todd jogged down the sidewalk to his van, Dad motioned toward the door with his chin. “Joanie, can you lock up?”
    I stared after Dad, chewing my lip in frustration. Then I shut the door with a satisfying thump and click of the lock. I gave the bottom a small kick too, just for good measure. Why did Dad have to give Penny a job like getting Jenny when all I got to do was lock the stupid door? I paused, embarrassment washing over me. I sounded like a six year old baby. Mentally I gave myself a quick shake. No twelve-year-old acted this way. And if I could show Mom and Dad how mature I was being with the whole situation, they would surely let me help.
    I trailed Dad into the kitchen and sat down at the table. A moment later, Penny brought Jenny in on her leash. The dog glanced warily at the table where the box of puppies rested before wagging her tail and following Penny into the breakfast nook. I craned my neck to see Jenny turn around several times before dropping to the makeshift bed.
    Mom reached a hand into the box to stroke the puppies, who had started to whimper. She sighed. “These guys are young, but I’m not sure they’re young enough to take to Jenny,” she said.
    â€œCan I help?” I asked. My stomach churned as I waited for the answer. The silence stretched on for what seemed like years while Mom looked from me to the puppies to Jenny. She was going to say no. I could just feel it. The corners of her mouth were turned down, not quite in a frown but just bordering on it. When she sighed again I felt my heart drop and disappointment flood through me. I had to blink hard to keep the tears from slipping out.
    â€œI’ll let you and Penny help for a while, but you have to do exactly as I say,” Mom replied.
    I suppressed a squeal. “I’ll do everything just like you say.”
    Mom picked up the box with surprising delicacy for something so heavy. She headed into the breakfast nook where Penny sat beside Jenny stroking her yellow fur. The dog raised her head just an inch or two off the bed when Mom knelt beside her.
    â€œIt’s okay, sweet girl,” Mom said in a soft voice, the cooing tone not unlike what she used for Lee. “We’ve got some little ones here who need a new mama. You’ll like them. You’ll see.”
    She carefully lifted one of the puppies out of the box. Holding it gently, Mom transferred the puppy right beside Jenny’s face. The dog sat up and snuffled the little puppy that could barely open his eyes. Jenny gave him a small lick before settling back down. Satisfied that Jenny had accepted the puppy, Mom nestled the puppy beside a swollen nipple.
    We watched as the puppy fumbled about. He flicked his little tongue out of his mouth like a snake, but after several attempts he failed to latch on. Mom sighed and scooped the puppy back up. She lifted another from the box and repeated the process.
    Finally, as the last puppy failed to latch on to Jenny, Mom pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. “Well, this is going to be a long night,” she said.
    Confused, I looked from Jenny to the box, and then back at Mom. “But they didn’t nurse,” I said. “Isn’t that it?”
    Penny asked, “What else can we do?”
    â€œDid you really expect it to work after one time?” Mom stood up. “Jenny isn’t their mother. We crossed a huge hurdle when she accepted all of them. Now we’ll have to keep trying to help them latch. Right now, though, we all need to get some food into these little guys.”
    I stood obediently and followed Mom into the kitchen. From a bag that