Ash
Tomorrow is the big day. Mom is coming home. When I told little Nellie, she started to cry. We all miss mom, but it’s awful hard on Nellie.
When mom is gone, dad takes really good care of us. He worries that we are unhappy without mom, so he gives us extra treats. He stays home with us so we don’t have to be alone.
Nellie tries so hard not to make a mess in the house, but her plumbing is unreliable and she has accidents almost every day.
Dad tells Nellie not to worry but she’s still embarrassed. Somehow she feels better if mom cleans up the messes.
When mom gets home tomorrow night we’re gonna mug her like we usually do. I’ll grab a couple of shoes and hide them outside. Jack will grin and lean all over mom. Tess will flop on her back and demand all the attention.
Little Nellie will stagger up to mom and kinda fall over. Mom will get down on her knees and kiss Nellie’s old snout. Then she will wrap her arms around us and tell us how much she missed us.
I’ll give mom a good nose washing, Jack will make funny groans and Tess will wander back to be with dad. Nellie will follow mom everywhere and get stuck in a few corners along the way.
When mom unpacks we’ll be waiting to smell her jeans and boots. Man, I sure love how she smells after she’s been at the ranch.
We’ll wake up Monday morning and life will be back to normal. We don’t have to worry about mom leaving us till next spring when the horses call and she has to go ride again. But for now life will be the way it should be. The pack will be together. It’s a good life.