Shadow (3 page)

“We're up here!” Mom called from upstairs. “I'm just putting away some laundry. Be right down.”

Charles and Sammy headed into the kitchen to find a snack. Sammy was always eating at the Petersons'. Lizzie knew he would head straight to the cookie jar and help himself.

Lizzie walked into the front hallway and looked up the stairs just in time to see the Bean running toward the landing on the second floor. He was laughing his googly laugh and waving his hands
in the air — and he wasn't watching where he was going.

Until a few months ago, the Petersons had always closed off the top of the stairs with a baby gate so that the Bean wouldn't fall downstairs. But lately they had not used the gate as much. The Bean was getting bigger, and he knew about being careful near the stairs.

Usually.

But not this time. He was playing “chase me” with Shadow, and he was running as fast as his little legs could go.

“Watch out!” Lizzie yelled. “Adam!” She hardly ever used his real name, but it popped right out of her mouth. She started to run up the stairs, hoping she could catch her little brother if he started to tumble.

Just then, Shadow put on a burst of speed and ran toward the Bean, coming between the toddling boy and the top of the stairs.

Oh, no! Shadow could tell the little person was in danger! But he knew he could help his friend. He would push him away from the stairs so he wouldn't fall! Faster, faster!

The puppy bumped into the Bean, shoving him back onto the landing.

The Bean sat back with a surprised look on his face. Lizzie wondered if he was going to burst into tears. Then, after a moment, he started laughing again.

Lizzie charged the rest of the way up the stairs, knelt down next to the Bean, and put an arm around him. “Are you okay, buddy?” she asked, even though she could see that he was. “Good dog, Shadow,” she said, putting her other arm around the pup. “You saved him!”

“What happened?” Mom asked, coming out of Charles's room.

“Mom, Shadow was amazing! He kept the Bean from falling down the stairs,” Lizzie reported. She
scooped the pup into her arms and gave him a big kiss on the head. He gave her that serious look of his before he kissed her back.

Shadow didn't know what all the fuss was about, but he liked it. Kisses and hugs were always good. But so was running around! Running around was
really
good.

Shadow squirmed to get down. “Uppy!” yelled the Bean, jumping to his feet for another game of “chase me.”

Mom sighed. “Good for Shadow. But I guess we'd better get that gate back up for a while,” she said. “These two have been running wild all day. You would think they would tire themselves out, but no. They just tire
me
out.” She smiled at her son and the puppy, but then gave Lizzie a serious look. “As much as the Bean loves Shadow, we really do have to find him a home. And soon.”

Lizzie nodded. “Okay,” she said. “But it has to be the
right
home. Shadow can't go to just any old family. He's a special dog.”

By then, Charles and Sammy had joined them. They were each munching on an apple. “Hi, Shadow,” Charles said, giving the puppy a hug. “You
are
a special dog.”

“I know how we can find him a home,” Sammy volunteered when he, Lizzie, and Charles were sitting in Lizzie's room a little later. They had offered to watch Shadow and the Bean for a while so Mrs. Peterson could work on an article she was writing. “We can take him to the rummage sale at the recreation center this weekend.”

“What, sell him for fifty cents?” Lizzie asked. “I don't think so. This dog came from a good breeder. He has papers. That means he's worth hundreds of dollars.”

“But we're not going to sell him for hundreds of dollars, either, are we?” Charles asked.

Lizzie shook her head. “No. We'll give him away. But it has to be the right family.” She pulled out a piece of paper and started to make a list. “They should have a big house,” she began, “because he needs lots of room to run around.”

“Or at least a big yard,” said Charles.

“Good!” said Lizzie. “With a fence around it, so he'll be safe.”

“I think the family should like to do stuff outdoors,” Sammy said. “Because Shadow is going to be an outdoorsy kind of dog. He wouldn't want to be cooped up inside all the time.”

Lizzie made some more notes. She looked over at the Bean and Shadow, who were finally napping on her bed. Shadow was snuggled right up next to the Bean. He was snoring a little, just tiny puppy snores. “I think Shadow should go to a home where there's a little kid like the Bean,” she said softly. She wrote that down. Then she read the list out loud.

“The perfect home sounds just like
our
home,” Charles said. “Why can't
we
keep Shadow?”

“I wish we could,” Lizzie said. She really, really did. “But I guess the timing just isn't right, especially with our vacation and all. At least we get to keep him for a while. That's the cool thing about fostering puppies. We get to spend time with all kinds of different dogs.”

The next day, Lizzie decided it was time to tell everyone in her class about Shadow. First of all, he was such an amazing puppy that she just had to boast about him. And second of all, he really did need a home. Maybe it would help to spread the word if she told people at school.

When the Petersons were trying to find a home for Goldie, they had put up signs. Lizzie was planning to make a sign about Shadow as soon as she had time.

The minute the morning meeting began, Lizzie raised her hand. When Mrs. Abeson called on her, she started telling all about how her family was fostering Shadow and about how cute and funny
and smart he was. “He even kept my little brother from falling down the stairs!” she reported.

Maria gave her an admiring glance. “He sounds like a great puppy,” she said. “I wish my family could take him, but we already have a dog. His name is Simba, and he —”

“I forgot to say that Shadow already knows how to come when you call his name!” Lizzie interrupted. She didn't mean to be rude. She was just excited about Shadow. When she saw Maria's face fall, she felt bad. But it really was still her turn to talk. “Anyway, if anybody hears of a really nice family that's looking for a dog, let me know,” Lizzie finished.

“We'll be sure to do that,” said Mrs. Abeson. “A wonderful puppy like that deserves a special home.”

After that, Noah had to tell about how his guinea pig was going to have babies, and Daniel said that his pet snake was shedding its skin, and Caroline said that her cat, Flower, liked to catch
mice and leave them in her dad's slippers. It was like pet day at morning meeting.

“We're going to meet a very special pet tomorrow, as part of our unit on Helen Keller,” Mrs. Abeson said. Her eyes were sparkling. “But it's a surprise.” Lizzie saw her glance over at Maria. Maria blushed. What was
that
about?

Before she could ask any questions, Mrs. Abeson said it was time for math. As they headed for their desks, Lizzie touched Maria on the shoulder. “Is it your pet that's coming?” she asked.

“It's a surprise,” Maria whispered.

Lizzie made a face. Maria was probably just still mad because Lizzie interrupted her. Oh, well. She could keep her dumb secret.

Once again, the school day dragged by. All Lizzie wanted to do was spend time with Shadow before she had to give him up. When the day was over, she raced out of school, hardly waiting for Sammy and Charles.

“Where's Shadow?” she demanded when she found her dad in the kitchen.

“Probably upstairs with your mom and the Bean,” Dad said. “Want me to make you some ants on a log for a snack?”

Ants on a log was one of Lizzie and Charles's favorite snacks. It was celery sticks with peanut butter spread on them, and raisins sprinkled onto the peanut butter. The raisins were supposed to look like ants on a log. Really they just looked like raisins on peanut butter. But still, Lizzie loved the snack. “Sure,” she said. “But first I have to find Shadow.”

She ran upstairs. “Mom!” she said when she found her mom working at her computer. “Where's Shadow?”

“Downstairs with your dad, I think,” her mom said, staring at the screen.

Lizzie shook her head. “Not there,” she said. “Where's the Bean?”

“Napping,” her mom said. “He and Shadow played hard this afternoon.”

Lizzie went down the hall to the Bean's room. Shadow was probably sleeping right next to the Bean on the Bean's new “big-boy bed.”

But the puppy wasn't there — and neither was the Bean.

Lizzie ran back to her mom. “Mom, the Bean's not in his bed! He and Shadow are
both
lost.”

“What?” said Mom. She jumped up and ran to the Bean's room.

Lizzie ran downstairs to get Charles and Dad. “Shadow and the Bean are both missing!” she told them.

Dad was just handing Charles a glass of milk. He stared at Lizzie. “Missing?” he asked. “How could that be? Your mom and I have been home all afternoon.”

“We'll find them,” said Charles. “They have to be somewhere in the house.”

They started by looking in all the bedrooms.

No sign of Shadow or the Bean.

Then they checked the living room, the dining room, and the den.

“Shadow! Adam!” Lizzie was calling their names all over the house. This was terrible! Where was her little brother? And what about Shadow? The Petersons were responsible for the puppy. They were his foster family. They were supposed to keep him safe until they found him a forever home. That was their whole job! If they messed up, who would ever give them another puppy to foster?

Then Lizzie heard it: A tiny, distant bark. And a whimper.

Shadow didn't like this place. It was dark and lonely. He had come in to keep the little boy safe, but then the door had slammed shut and they were both stuck inside.

“Shadow!” she cried. “Did you hear that, Charles?”

Charles nodded. “I think it came from the Bean's room,” he said, looking confused.

They all ran back upstairs and into the Bean's room. “Shadow?” Lizzie called.

Another bark. It was coming from the closet!

Dad yanked open the door, and Mom swooped in to pick up the Bean. “Oh, honey,” she said, hugging him.

Shadow bounced out, looking as happy as always. Lizzie bent down to pick him up and give him a kiss. She was so relieved to see him — and the Bean, of course!

Yay! Shadow was glad they had finally heard him. Maybe it was time for a treat! He had certainly earned one.

“Ball!” said the Bean, pointing back toward the closet.

Dad shook his head. “He must have woken up from his nap and gone in there to get his ball,” he said. “Shadow followed him, the door closed, and then they were both trapped.”

“Good thing the Bean had his guardian angel with him!” Mom said, hugging the Bean again “I'm glad you're both okay.”

The next morning at school, Lizzie still felt horrible about what had happened. How long had Bean and Shadow been trapped? Fostering puppies was a serious job!

But then something happened that made her forget everything else.

“Remember I mentioned yesterday that we were going to meet a very special pet?” said Mrs. Abeson, right after math. “Well, our guest is here. Maria, would you introduce him?”

Blushing, Maria got up, went to the door, and opened it. “This is Simba,” she said as a big, stocky, yellow Labrador retriever walked into the room.

The dog was wearing a harness with a leather handle. Holding the harness was a woman who looked like a grown-up version of Maria.

“And this is my mom,” Maria added. “She's blind.”

For a second, the classroom was completely quiet. Then it exploded into noise as everyone started asking questions at once.