CH12

Oh m'God! Oh m'God!" she exclaimed.

The dog, spotting another potential playmate, scrabbled to gain traction on the hardwood floor and launched himself at Amelia, yanking the leash from my hand.

Amelia dropped to her knees and welcomed a wriggling, tail wagging, bundle of loving joy. Laughter burst out, making me smile. Finally, finally, Amelia was happy again.

"Happy birthday!"

Shocked, Amelia said, "He's mine?" and promptly burst into giggles as the puppy washed her face. "What's his name?"

"Sir Rufus Peealot," I informed her.

"How come?"

And, as if on cue, Sir Rufus demonstrated by weeing on the floor in his excitement. Amelia laughed with pure delight. "He's so cute!"

"Maybe you should take him outside," I suggested.

"Kay! C'mon Rufus!"

After cleaning up the mess, I washed my hands and started breakfast, pausing to sip coffee. I couldn't stop smiling.

In the back garden, Amelia was running around in her pajamas, chased by a stumbling, yipping, excited Rufus, her laughter the sweetest music filling the air.

I'd originally hoped to give Amelia a surprise birthday party with her friends, but talking to Mrs.

Sorensen, her headmistress, I'd discovered Amelia had few friends, her hectic schedule with music interfering with interpersonal relations.

Instead, I planned a dinner out at Ruby Tuesdays, a fun diner-style restaurant.

That plan fell apart, too.

Amelia informed me she couldn't possibly leave Rufus alone, so we ordered in.

It worked out well. I was thoroughly entertained, luxuriating in Amelia's joy. Every so often, she'd call out from some part of the house, "Mike! Bring paper towels!" - Rufus was living up to his name.

"Stop exciting him," I suggested.

Amelia just laughed. "But he's so cute!"

We ate a huge tub of messy BBQ wings, delivered hot with a big box of fries.

I had to lay down the law with Amelia, forbidding her from giving Rufus wings. At first put out, she understood when I explained about chicken bones sticking in his throat.

Amelia promptly deboned some wings and fed them to the rambunctious puppy.

Clearly, I would have to take Amelia to puppy training classes, maybe Rufus, too. I made a mental note to sign them up, tout de suite.

We watched movies. Actually, we let movies play on TV and I watched Amelia as she sat on the floor playing with the effervescent furball. I was still smiling at her joy.

Rufus was a real champ. He raced, played, and gave Amelia his all. However, at just past nine, he collapsed suddenly, curled up, and went to sleep, tuckered out.

He was calmer when Amelia took him out to pee, which he dutifully did, then curled up and went back to sleep. Finally, Amelia sat next to me, still hopped up and excited.

By ten-thirty I was done. Amelia carried Rufus to her room. And not five minutes after I'd settled in bed, Amelia arrived, Rufus in her arms.

"I'm not sleepy, Mike. Can we watch a movie together?"

"Sure. It's still your birthday until midnight."

Amelia smiled, placed Rufus on the bed at the foot and climbed up to lay next to me.

"What movie would you like?" I asked.

"Anything."

I knew she'd say it. Amelia had little interest in movies. They just weren't her thing. Music was her passion. And that gave me an idea.

"Hold on." I slipped out of bed and went to the den, hunted through the huge selection of DVD's and found what I was looking for.

Returning to the bedroom, I put it on and settled back on the bed, rose again to open the windows to let cooler air in, and settled. June was hot, but evening breezes were nice.

I was quite comfortable in boxers around Amelia. She'd seen me most mornings drinking coffee in my underwear.

Moulin Rouge started, and, as if objecting, Rufus farted, the pungent stink almost suffocating me.

"Rufus!" Amelia exclaimed, covering her nose with the bed sheet. Rufus didn't even stir; his opinion already delivered.

"I warned you not to feed him wings."

Amelia giggled. "Next time I won't." Then her attention was taken with the first song.

I pulled the sheet over us and fifteen minutes later, not hearing a peep from Amelia, I fell asleep.

AMELIA WATCHED THE MOVIE, absorbed in Ewan McGregor's rendition of classic pop songs, the remixes very good.

She enjoyed Nicole Kidman, too. They both surprised her with their voices. At one point Rufus rolled onto his back, paws in the air, his tail wagging slowly as he dreamed. Amelia smiled. She already loved Rufus.

She glanced across at Mike. Over the last several months, as she'd lived with him, she'd seen how concerned he'd been. But she hadn't been able to shake the sorrow that haunted her.

And she couldn't handle the fear that Mike would die, too, leaving her alone in the world. It seemed to her, everyone she loved died.

He'd been so patient, never complaining, always kind, and constantly trying to distract her. This morning was typical Mike.

She hadn't wanted to get up, only reluctantly at his yelling. It was her birthday and she wasn't in the least excited.

But then.

Seeing Mike with his sneaky grin, warm brown eyes twinkling with amusement, and Rufus, the cutest puppy in the world, something changed.

Somewhere inside her she changed; peace settling over her, her anxiety melting away.

Rufus was the best present ever. How had Mike known she'd always wanted a dog? And Rufus was such a character! He was gorgeous.

Glancing at Mike asleep, his unkempt hair unruly and too long, she understood what had changed, what that feeling of peace was.

She loved Mike. She loved his kindness and intelligence. He was funny, yet he could be stern in a gentle way.

He never said no, only explaining why something might not be a good idea. He was wonderful. She loved him.

Rolling close to him, she whispered in his ear, "I love you, Mike."

Smiling, she fell asleep to the sound of music, the fingers of her right hand moving slightly to the tempo.