“Danes are good dogs. They’re loyal and very smart,” he says from where he sits on the couch.
“Where did you even get him from?” I back up when the dog starts to come towards me.
“Baby, do you honestly think I would ever bring a dog into our home if I didn’t know for certain you and our babies would be safe with him around?” Nico asks, watching me and the dog closely.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you… It’s just… He’s so big that my head can fit in his mouth. Daisy can fit in his mouth! I love Daisy. I don’t want to look for her one day then a couple hours later have him go outside to do his business and his business is a ball of fur that was once my Daisy.”
He laughs, and the dog takes another step towards me, forcing me to take another step back. “Baby, he isn’t going to eat Daisy. He doesn’t even notice her.”
“You say that now, but what happens when we’re not home and they’re alone together?” I ask, watching as Daisy runs in and out from between the big dog’s legs then jumps up and down, trying to get him to play with her. “Okay, so maybe they’ll be okay, but I just don’t know.”
“Come here, Sophie.” Nico holds out his hand in my direction. I scoot around the dog before taking his hand so he can pull me onto his lap.
“I think I’m getting too big to sit on your lap,” I tell him.
“Never.” He kisses the side of my head. “Now come here, Goose.”
“Goose?” I repeat quietly, watching the dog come towards us. “What kind of name is Goose?”
“Goose is his name because he’s as white as a goose.”
He is white—pure white, with one black ear, a pink nose, and blue eyes. Nico holds my hand out for him to smell. I have been around Asher and November’s Beast a few times. He’s a nice dog, great with all the kids, and very protective. He’s just so big. I always try to avoid him.
“Relax, babe. He’s a good dog.”
I un-ball my fist, cautiously holding my hand out to him. His cold, wet nose touches my palm, and then his tongue runs over my skin. Daisy jumps on the couch so she can get closer to Goose, and once she’s in front of him, she starts licking his face and barking, trying jump on him. He pushes her out of the way with his head, forcing her to the side so he can lay his head on my lap. His nose goes to my stomach, and I wonder if he smells the babies. Daisy’s still going crazy trying to get his attention, but he just ignores her, pressing himself even closer to me so I’ll pet him.
“The best part is he’s already house broken, and he’s full grown.”
“Where did he come from?” I ask, starting to relax and enjoy the comforting feeling of his big, warm head against me.
“A friend of mine who’s in the military is getting ready to go overseas and can’t take him with him.”
“So we’re going to have to give him back in a couple years?” I wonder out loud, not liking the idea of getting attached to him and then having him taken away in a few years when his owner comes back.
“No, babe. He’s ours permanently,” Nico assures me.
I laugh as he rubs his big head against my stomach, wanting me to pay attention to him. “Okay, so he’s kinda cute,” I finally agree.
“He’s well trained. That’s what’s important.”
“You’re not still worried, are you?” I ask. Since moving, I never even think about what happened at my old house.
“I will be worried until we find out who the person behind what happened to you is.”
“Nothing has happened in forever. Maybe what happened before was a complete coincidence.” I shrug my shoulders, the movement making Goose look up at me with big puppy-dog eyes.
“Maybe, maybe not, I’m not willing to take that chance.”
“So I guess we just got a new dog.” I sigh, finally placing my hands on each side of the giant head nuzzling my belly and stroking his short but surprisingly soft fur.
“Glad you’re seeing things my way.” He smirks.
“I love when you ask me how I feel about something, knowing you’re just going to do whatever you want anyways.” I scratch behind Goose’s ears and giggle when one of his back legs starts to shake.
“When it comes to your safety, I will do what’s necessary.” He kisses the side of my neck, and Daisy decides to jump up on the back of the couch, where she can prop her front paws on Nico’s shoulder and lick both of our faces.
My hormones take over for a moment and my heart swells. “Two fur-babies before our two real babies get here. It’s gonna be a full house.”
I sit down in the glider that was just delivered for the babies’ room and tap my pen on the paper in my lap. I need to reply to my dad’s letter. I’ve been putting it off for a long time, trying to figure out what I want to say, what I really want our relationship to be like, or if I even want a relationship with him at all. The closer my due date gets, the more I think about my babies having their grandfather—not just Nico’s dad, but my dad as well—at least in some capacity. I know it’s what my mother would have wanted. I look down at the paper again, wondering how to even start the letter off. Do I write Dear Dad, or do I write his name? Why does this have to be so difficult?
“Whatcha doing in here?” I look up when I hear Nico’s voice.
“Sorry?” I ask him, lost in the way he looks. His torso is covered in sweat, his tattoos even more pronounced from the sun shining into the room, his body looking bigger than it used to for some reason.