Mrs. Peterson said. “Susan?” she asked the woman. “What are you —” “I can’t take it anymore,” said the woman. “We tried. We really did. But we just can’t deal with this dog.” She had to shout to be heard over the puppy’s barking. At the same time, a baby in a car seat inside the car started to wail, and the two blond little kids strapped in next to him began to yell, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” Lizzie walked over to the woman and took the leash from her hand. “Come on, pup,” she said, leaning down to scoop the excited puppy into her arms. “Quiet down. Shh, shh, you’re being silly.” Let me down! Let me down! Let me down! The puppy wriggled and barked. What good was being in a new place if you couldn’t explore? Oh, well, if he couldn’t get down, maybe he could at least make a new friend! The puppy struggled a little, but then seemed to decide that he liked being in Lizzie’s arms.
