Shoving my keys in my pocket, I scratched Bonnie and Cupcake, my mother’s dogs, on their heads before making a beeline for the older Lab. Sookie was almost fifteen, and the hair around her eyes, nose, and chin had turned white. She was stiff and hobbled more these days, but she was still a puppy to me and would forever be the best birthday present a three-year-old boy ever received. She waddled into my arms and then dropped down on my foot, wagging her tail so hard her back was shaking.
