Clenching the steering wheel as I made my way through the heavy rain, I'd never driven in anything like it. My daughter Anna was in the backseat, smiling ear to ear, watching the rain slide down the window as we headed to the animal shelter. Moving to a new town was the roughest part; I knew we were getting a fresh start, but I'd never lived without any shield or protection for me and my daughter. We'd always had someone living with us to keep us safe. We were looking for a dog that could keep me and my daughter safe. 'You've arrived at your destination,' my GPS said bluntly. Anna got even more excited as I pulled into the parking lot of the animal shelter, the water splashing against the side of my car. I twisted the key, turning off the car, and took a deep breath, watching the potholes in the parking lot fill up with water. 'Get ready,' I said jokingly to Anna. We hopped out of the car, rushing to the door. 'Go, go, go,' I exclaimed as I held the glass door open for her covering our heads. A worker was smiling at the counter, seeing my little girl and me approach. 'Are you here for the doggy meet and greet?' the worker asked, smiling and looking down at Anna. I looked down at Anna, watching her shake her head yes, her pigtails moving up and down off her shoulder. 'Well, come on in!' The worker held the door open, leading to a room with glass kennels holding the dogs. Barks filled the room as we trailed through, all different kinds of dogs. My daughter's eyes lit up. We took our time searching for the perfect strong, young dog. While looking at a pit bull named King, who was asleep in his dog bed, we overheard one of the workers talking about a dog that was going to be put down due to overcrowding. My daughter tugged on my arm and said with a worried face, "Mama, we have to get that one!" I asked the worker which dog she was talking about, and the worker pointed to an almost fully golden retriever, with some spots of grey from old age. "Daisy," it said on the glass kennel holding her. The dog exhaled, laying her head on her paw, seeming despondent, but giving puppy eyes that were filled with beaches, which was the only happy thing about her. "I feel bad for the old dog, but we need one that can protect us, hun," I replied to Anna. She frowned, her chin almost hitting the ground, a wave of melancholic disappointment washing over her face. I sat back and sighed, looking at Daisy. "Okay, we can get her," I proclaimed, smiling at Anna. Her face brightened up. I watched the grey and the blue from her eyes fade into her deep brown eyes. Her excitement almost made her jump up and down. After all the paperwork, the worker opened the cage, and Daisy ran into Anna's arms, almost licking her face off while wagging her tail. The worker clipped a leash onto Daisy's faded light blue collar, which was covered in dog paws and flowers, showing how long she'd been there. The worker handed me the leash as we made our way out, Anna hugging Daisy the whole time. We stepped outside, and the sun was shining; the clouds had been pushed aside, and the rain had stopped as if it never poured. The rainbow in the sky was so vibrant that it made the small town shine. The only proof of the rain was the giant puddles filled with oil, creating a pretty metallic look to the water on the road and parking lot, and the small flowers in the florist shop's plant holders wilting from the water on their petals. I opened the car door for Anna. She hopped in, and Daisy followed, her golden fur getting all over the black seat covers. All the way back to our apartment, Daisy sat right next to Anna, sitting upright and looking happier than ever. At home, Daisy laid with Anna, her head on her chest, our apartment becoming a home because of Daisy. Anna and I would take her on walks, stopping by dog parks and creeks, a smile stretched out on all of our faces. Every night before bed, Daisy would whine until I turned on her little box fan, then she would pass out after a long day of running around with the fan on high. As Anna grew older, I was scared to leave her alone at home. I knew she had Daisy, but Anna is my daughter, and I couldn't bare to see anything happen to her. She's my whole heart, if it were shaped into a precious 14-year-old girl. My first love since moving to the new town started two months ago after I met a woman at a coffee shop while walking Daisy. "I'm outside," my phone displays the text. I look at my phone, then at Anna and Daisy, who are laying on the couch with the fan on. "Okay, Anna, I'll be home at around 10:00. Call me if anything happens," I say with a worried look on my face. "I will, Mom, I promise. And I have Daisy if anything happens." Daisy's ears and tail perk up at hearing her name. Leaving the apartment, I grew more and more anxious at the doorstep. I see my girlfriend in her car, and she's smiling and waving; I can't help but smile too. I get in the car and close the door. "You okay?" she asks me. "Yeah, I've just never left Anna alone at home before," I reply. "It's going to be okay, I promise, Sammy," she says, putting her hand on mine and rubbing her thumb across my knuckle. "I know... I know..." I reply, staring off into space and lifting her hand to my lips to kiss it. She shifts the car into drive and drives us to a restaurant. Her smile grows bigger as we approach the restaurant. "The wait list was so long; I hope it's good," she exclaims with a bit of joy in her voice. The restaurant's signs are glowing in her eyes as I stare into them. Hours later, in the restaurant, I sit across from Zoey, laughing. Her laugh is genuine and warm. I look down at my phone as the time shines in my face, "10:09." My smile drops. "You alright?" Zoey asks. "I told Anna I'd be home at 10:00... it's 10:09," I reply. "Oh shoot, do you want me to take you home?" she says, getting up from the table. "Are you sure? I don't want this night to end," I say, worried I'm hurting her feelings. "We can have other nights like this, and I don't want you being worried all night." She smiles hard as she picks up her purse and pays for our meal. While she's dropping me off, and I'm about to close the car door, "Do you maybe... wanna stay the night?" I ask nervously, my words trailing off. "Okay, sure," she replies, unbuckling her seatbelt. As we approach the apartment, my pace gets faster, worried and scared that something could have happened in the 3 hours I was gone. My hands trembled as I unlocked and opened the door... my view immediately being Anna and Daisy asleep on the couch with the fan on, of course. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight. In the living room, I look around, Zoey sitting on the couch next to Daisy. "All my girls..." I say under my breath but just loud enough for Zoey to hear it. Zoey eventually moved in with us, my family starting. But as my family grew, so did Daisy... and we noticed her aging getting worse, whether it be her pace becoming slower or sleeping more often. I've become more comfortable with letting Anna stay home alone more. Me and Zoey arrive home after going out to grab some things from the store. I open the door and see Daisy on the couch sleeping, and Anna at the kitchen counter doing dishes her sleeves rolled up but still managing to get soap and water on them. We set the brown bags of groceries on the granite counter. "Why isn't Daisy's fan on?" I ask Anna, noticing the quietness besides the running water. Anna looks at me, confused, glancing down at her feet. "Is she sleeping? She was at my feet earlier," she replies, her eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, she's sleeping," I say, while Zoey goes into the living room to check on Daisy. "Sammy, come here!" Zoey exclaims, worried. I swiftly make my way into the living room. "What's wrong?!" I say, almost shouting, as Zoey shakes Daisy's limp body. I kneel down on the floor. "Oh, come on, baby, you're okay," I say, my voice shaky, trying to get Daisy to wake up. Anna peeks into the living room; I hear the dishes being thrown down in the sink. "Mama, is she okay?" she says, distressed. "She's fine, honey," I reply, trying to keep her calm as Zoey and I exchange faces. "Mama, her fan—she can't sleep without her fan," she says, while tears form in her wide eyes. I get up to hug Anna, the tears pouring as much as the rain on the first day we got Daisy. "Mama, she can't sleep without her fan. Don't let her sleep without her fan." Zoey turns on the fan, but we all know Daisy is gone. The fan humming behind the tears. I want to protect my baby Anna, but I knew I never could protect her from Daisy's death. I want to take her emotions and feel them so she doesn't have to. A mother1234 copyright protection195ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoeAd1ROtf 尼

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