Natalie Wants a Puppy (2 page)

I run very fast to the front door. But my mom beats me to it. She hugs Daddy. And Daddy hugs her, even though he’s carrying packages. I run up and share this hug.

“I got everything,” he says, holding out his arms. They have shopping bags hanging on them.

“Mom says we get to talk!” I tell him.

Daddy dumps his shopping bags and picks me up. He twirls me around, which he never does inside the house almost. “You bet we’ll talk,” he says. “Have we got news for you, kiddo!”

I feel kinda grown-up, on account of I also have news for them. Their news for me is “You’re getting a puppy!” And my news for them is “I know!”

“Can we have dinner first?” Mom says, laughing.

“No!” I beg. “I can’t wait to talk!”

“I’m with Nat on this one,” Daddy says.

“Okay,” Mom agrees.

I plop down on the floor right where we are, just inside our front door and on our living room rug.

“Can’t we at least sit at the table?” Mom asks.

Daddy plops down beside me. “Nope.”

Mom laughs and plops down with us. We are three sitting-down-on-the-floor people.

My mom starts the talking. “Nat, I hope you know how happy your dad and I are. We love you, and we’re so blessed with this family God’s given us. It’s because our life is so wonderful, that sometimes we want more family.”

“I
know
!” My dog will be a part of our family forever.

“You do, huh?” Daddy says, all smiley-faced. “What do you know?”

“I know the mystery!” I can’t hold this in any longer. “I know the big secret. That’s what!”

“Natalie!” Mom is big in her eyes. “But how—”

“I heard you. And I found stuff. Like that string cage thing in the closet—”

“That string…the pen?” Mom says. “The playpen?”

“Yep. And I’m so excited! Like you knew I’d be.”

Daddy laughs. “We sure hoped so.”

“And I’ll think up a great name! Like Foofy. Or Fido. Or…or maybe I’ll wait and name it when we see what kind it is.”

“What kind?” Mommy asks.

“You mean like a boy or a girl, right?” Daddy says. “I can answer that right now. A boy.”

I think about this. I know many good boy names.

“Natalie,” Mommy says, “do you understand that we’re adopting?”

“I know that word,
adopt,”
I tell them. “When can we go pick him out?”

“It doesn’t work like that, honey,” Daddy says.

“Jason’s whole family went to the Adopt-A-Pet. They got to vote on their cat,” I explain.

“Well, it’s not that easy for us,” Mommy says.

“Why not?”

She pushes my hair out of my face. “Because it’s a lot easier to adopt a cat, sweetheart.”

“But not a puppy?” I don’t understand this part.

“A puppy?” Daddy says. He looks fast at Mommy, then back to me. “Nat, what do you think we’re talking about here?”

“My puppy!” I shout. On account of this is making my head hurt. “I want to pick out my own puppy!”

Mom and Dad stare at me. Then they look at each other and bust out laughing. They laugh so hard they fall off the floor onto their backs.

“It’s not funny!” I shout. “Why can’t I pick out my own puppy?”

That makes them laugh all over again.

When they finally stop laughing and sit back up, Mom puts her arm around my shoulder. “Natalie,” she says, “we’re not getting a puppy. We’re getting a baby!”

“A baby?” I shout. “Are you sure?”

I look at my mom’s stomach. She told me babies come from there. “You’re not fat like Bethany’s mom was fat.”

Daddy pats Mommy’s tummy. “Hmmm…she’s right, you know.”

I stare at her stomach. “Plus also, I don’t remember seeing anybody else in there when I was there.” I think I would have remembered that one.

They laugh their heads off. Only not for too long.

“I’m sorry, Nat,” Mom says. “We’re not laughing at you. We’re just so happy. We’ve been waiting such a long time. We’re adopting a baby from China.”

“From China? Like Anna’s China?” Anna is in my kindergarten class. She told us all about her grandparents being from China.

“Will it talk American?” I ask.

“Eventually,” Mom answers. “We’ll count on you to help with that.”

I am trying to get used to this idea. A baby in our house? Where will it live? Jason’s baby brother
lived in Jason’s room. And all it did was cry. Plus, it was wrinkly.

Daddy takes over talking. “We didn’t think the adoption would come through until next year. Then we got the call yesterday. And everything’s happening so fast. We just wanted to be sure before we told you and got your hopes up.”

“What about my puppy?” I ask.

Daddy scruffs up my hair. “Maybe we can talk about that one when we get back.”

“When we get back from where?” I don’t want to wait for my puppy.

“China,” Mommy says.

“We’re going to China?” I was on a flying airplane two times to see Different Granny and Gramps in California. You had to sit in your seat a very long time. What if China is as far away as California?

“Daddy and I will go there to get your new little brother, Nat,” Mommy explains. “It’s such a long flight. Granny will stay here with you. Won’t that be fun?”

“You’re going without me?” I am chokey in my neck now.

“You wouldn’t want to miss your last week of kindergarten, would you, Nat?” Daddy asks. He has a fake smiley face on.

Tears are leaking out of me. Everything feels not fair. No puppy. No Mommy. No Daddy. No China. “Why can’t I go with you?”

“We can barely afford two tickets to China, honey,” Daddy says. “Besides, you love having Granny here.”

“Not at nights.” I have to swallow tears to get those words out. I love Granny. But Granny isn’t Mommy and Daddy at night.

I don’t eat very much for dinner. Neither do Mom and Dad. They both put me and Percy to bed early. It’s still light outside.

“We have a lot to pray and be thankful for tonight, don’t we?” Mom says. She sits on the feet part of my bed, next to Percy.

Daddy stays standing up.

They pray first. We say our regular prayers and make sure everybody we know is blessed, plus some people we don’t even know.

Then Daddy says, “Father, thanks for blessing us with two children. Help them both know how much we love them.”

Mom prays some regular stuff. Then she says, “Please keep our new baby safe. Give us a safe trip to China. Take care of Natalie and her granny while we’re gone.”

They’re really much quiet. I know it’s my turn. Only I don’t want to tell God all the stuff in my head. So I just say, “Please bring my mom and dad back home super fast. Amen.”

Mommy tucks me in and pets Percy’s head. “You know, Nat, your dad and I will be back before you know it. And when we land, you’ll have a brand-new baby brother.”

A brand-new brother.

And no puppy.

The next day is Sunday, and there is a lot of hurrying in our house. I’m late getting to my Sunday school room.

Soon as I walk in, Laurie waves at me from the front row. “Nat! I saved you a seat!” she yells.

My bestest friend, Laurie, is a great seat saver. I take that seat next to her.

“Tell me everything!” she whispers, on account of our teacher, Mrs. Palmer, is talking too. “What kind of a puppy? Do you get to pick? When will you—”

“No puppy,” I whisper back.

“They changed their minds?” Laurie asks.

“I guess. We’re getting a baby from China instead. A boy.”

“You are?” Laurie is big in her eyes.

I nod.

“Wow! A brother!” Laurie says this so loud that Mrs. Palmer looks at us. Only she is smiley-faced like Laurie.

“I always wanted a brother,” Laurie says.

“You did?” I’m surprised. Laurie acts even more excited about me getting a boy than she did about me getting a puppy.

Mrs. Palmer walks over to us. I think she’s going to tell us to be quiet. Only I’m wrong. “Congratulations, Natalie,” she says.

“Thank you.” I’m pretty sure she means congratulations on the baby boy and not the puppy. I wonder if the whole world knows about it.

After church, Laurie and Laurie’s mom run up to my mom when we’re leaving. “Kelly, I can’t find that pretty plate we used for the last potluck.”

Mom stops walking. “Did you look under the sink?”

“It’s not there.” Laurie’s mom looks aggravated.

“Are you sure, Marge? I put it right back where it always goes.”

Laurie’s mom shakes her head and takes Mom’s arm. “You better find it. I’ll need it before you get back.”

“Go on, honey,” Dad says. “I’ll wait in the car.” He walks out with Laurie’s dad.

Laurie and I follow our moms down creaky stairs to the basement. There aren’t good windows down there, and it’s kinda dark.

“Why are the lights off?” Mom asks. She flips the light on at the bottom of the stairs.

“Surprise!”

“Surprise!”

“Surprise!”

A gazillion ladies shout this at us.

“I can’t believe—how did you—I’m speechless!” Mommy says.

Laurie’s mom leads my mom to a fancy table in front of everybody. Plus, there are presents on that table.

Laurie’s big sister Sarah comes over to Laurie and me. “You guys can sit up front and watch,” Sarah says. She puts us in the front row of chairs. “Have you ever been to a baby shower before, Natalie?”

“At Jason’s house once,” I answer. It wasn’t so much fun. On account of there’s no water in a baby shower. And the presents aren’t for you.

“My mom was up all night planning this after your mom called,” Sarah says. “Some people skipped church to go buy a gift, but don’t tell Pastor.” She laughs, ‘cause you can tell our pastor all kinds of stuff.

“Nobody told me,” Laurie complains.

“You can’t keep a secret,” Sarah says.

My mom keeps telling people thank you.

“Are you going to open your gifts or what?” Laurie’s mom shouts at mine.

Everybody laughs.

Mommy starts to open a present, then stops. She looks right at me. “Natalie, could you help me open these gifts?”

I jump out of my seat and run up to her. I
love
to open gifts. I am a very good opener, that’s what.

I start with the biggest present and pull off the bow. I rip off the paper. But the box is closed up. “It won’t open,” I tell Mom.

Together, we get it apart and pull out a big blue plastic thing. “It’s a car seat,” I mutter. I hate those things. Only the one I had didn’t have toys on it like this one.

“It’s amazing!” Mommy says. “Thank you so much. I really need it, too. We gave Nat’s away. And this looks like a new, improved model.”

I am already ripping open another present.

“Slow down, Nat,” Mommy says.

Only I am a fast present-opener. I rip off the paper. “Diapers?” I push the giant bag of diapers away. This is the worst present I have ever unwrapped.

There are more worst presents. Rattles. And more diapers. Fuzzy blankets for babies. And little baby-boy clothes.

“You can finish,” I tell my mom. On account of I am done opening these yucky-head presents.

Sarah lets Laurie and me pass out pieces of cake on little plates. But it’s white cake and not chocolate. So I don’t eat any. And I’m starving.

When the showering is finally over, Laurie’s mom walks over to the basement steps, where Laurie and I are sitting. “Natalie, how’d you like to come home with Laurie?”

Most of the times, I would shout,
Yes!
Only not this time. Mommy and Daddy are going to China tomorrow. “I have to go home,” I tell her.

“Please? We’d love to have you, Natalie,” Laurie’s mom says. “Your parents have a lot of packing to do. Let’s give them some time, okay?”

“Come on, Nat!” Laurie says. “It’ll be fun!”

We push through the crowd and get to my mom. I slip up and hug her. She puts one arm around me, while she keeps saying thank you to people. I don’t think she’ll want me to go to Laurie’s. Sunday is family day at our house.

Mommy kisses my head. “Be good at Laurie’s, Nat. Have fun.”

I walk out with Laurie and Sarah. I take a fast look back before we step outside. I see other people and the pile of presents.

But I can’t even see my mommy.