Page 122 of Wag More Bark Less
“I’m sorry, Ellie Belly.”
Oof!
Tight hug.
Breathe through it, Ellie Belly.
Forever Mom is sad.
She needs a tight hug.
The tightest hug.
“I didn’t want to leave either.”
Leave?
Squirm, squirm.
No.
No leave.
We need to go back.
No leave.
Whine, bark, whine, bark.
“Ellie, please. You’re breaking my heart.”
We need to go back!
Turn around, Forever Mom.
Whine, bark, whine, bark.
We have to go back.
Why aren’t we going back?
Whine, bark, whine, bark.
We forgot Forever Dad.
FORTY-FOUR
MAGGIE
ONE MONTH LATER . . .
“All three kids are asleep at the same time,” Violet quietly cheered, returning to her spot on the couch. “And if anyone messes that up, I’m going to kick their ass into next year.” She pulled a blanket across her lap, the fringe edges tickling my arm.
I didn’t look up from my phone. I didn’t want my sister to see the tears I was fighting hard not to let fall.
As Ellie softly snored at my side, I scrolled through the Golden Days parade photos for the hundredth time since I landed back in Lansing.
I’d practically memorized them by this point. I knew which ones included Walter in the front of the float in his Korean War veteran hat. I could pick out Opal on the sidelines, waving at her dad in two photos. But the photo that always stopped me was the one zoomed all the way in on Luke driving the tractor.
