Bella (2 page)

Lizzie swallowed hard. The poor little puppy. First she lost her brothers, then her mother was too sick to take care of her, and now she might — Lizzie couldn’t even bear to think about it. It just wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Mom said, stroking her back. “But maybe she’ll be okay. Let’s try to be hopeful.”

“Ms. Dobbins must be really worried.” said Lizzie.

Mom nodded. “She is. I know you probably want to talk to her, but let’s wait until morning. She has her hands full trying to keep that puppy alive.”

Charles and the Bean were upset when they heard, too — even though they had never even seen the puppy. And Lizzie could tell that her dad felt terrible. At dinner, while everybody picked at the lasagna (they all seemed to have lost their appetites), he talked about the first pet he’d ever had, a turtle named Finkle. “I loved Finkle so much,” he said. “I would spend hours holding her in my hand, feeding her lettuce and petting her little shell.”

Lizzie wasn’t into turtles, but she could tell that Dad had really cared for this one. “What happened?” she asked.

“One morning, when I went to get Finkle out of her tank, she wasn’t moving. I didn’t know why at first, and my dad had to explain that Finkle was never going to move again. First I didn’t believe it. Then I was sad.” Dad looked sad now, remembering.

Lizzie went over to give him a hug. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said. Charles and the Bean jumped up to hug him, too, and Buddy sat up and put a paw on Dad’s lap. Soon Dad was smiling again.

That night, Lizzie did not sleep well at all. She tossed and turned, wondering if the girl puppy was going to make it. When she woke up, the sun was streaming through her windows. It was late!

Lizzie pulled a sweatshirt on over her pajamas and ran downstairs. “Can we call Ms. Dobbins?” she asked Mom, before she even said good morning.

“I’ve already spoken to her.” Mom put down the newspaper she was reading.

Lizzie squeezed her eyes shut, held her breath, and crossed her fingers tight.

“The puppy made it through the night,” Mom said.

Lizzie opened her eyes and let out a big whoosh of breath.

Mom smiled at her. “In fact, she’s doing great. Once Dr. Gibson helped Ms. Dobbins get the puppy used to the bottle feeding, she ate and ate—every two hours!” Mom pushed back her chair and got up to pour herself more coffee. “Dr. Gibson said it’s not unusual for puppies to get stronger very quickly once they start eating well,” she said.

“Oh, Mom. She made it!” Lizzie threw her arms around her mother.

“You were really worried about her, weren’t you?” Mom said.

Lizzie nodded. “Can we go see her today?” she asked.

“Well,” said Mom, “that’s the next piece of news. When Ms. Dobbins called, she told me that she has realized that she just can’t take care of a newborn puppy and also do her job.
She was up practically all night, and she is exhausted.”

“But what will happen to the puppy?” Lizzie pushed away from her mom and stared up at her.

Mom put her hands on Lizzie’s shoulders. She smiled. “We’re going to take her,” she said.

Lizzie stared at her mother, speechless.

“We can split up the work. It’s too much for one person, but if Dad and I and you and Charles all help out, I think we can manage.” Mom raised her eyebrows. “What do you think?”

“I think — I think it’s great!” Lizzie finally managed to get some words out. She was so surprised that Mom had agreed to take the puppy. This would really be something new, to foster such a young puppy. Lizzie was excited — and scared. Fostering other puppies had sometimes been a little bit challenging, but mostly it had been great fun. This was different. Taking care of a newborn seemed like such a big responsibility.
What if the girl puppy died, the way her brothers had?

But when Ms. Dobbins came over with the puppy, Lizzie was too busy to be scared. There was so much to learn! How to mix up the formula, and heat it to the perfect temperature. How to poke the right-size holes in the baby bottle’s nipple. How to keep the puppy’s box clean by changing the newspaper, and how to keep the puppy clean by wiping her with a soft, damp cloth. How to set up a lamp and a hot water bottle to keep the puppy warm —but not
too
warm. And how to mix up a mess of soaked puppy chow and water. Ms. Dobbins called it “slurry,” and Lizzie and Mom would have to start feeding it to the puppy. Each day she would get a little more slurry and a little less formula. That was called “weaning,” and with luck the puppy would not need the bottle much longer. Ms. Dobbins talked Mom and Lizzie through it all. (Dad had taken Charles and Buddy
and the Bean out for the day, so the puppy’s homecoming would be quieter.)

The girl puppy did look much, much better. Her belly was round and full and she actually seemed to have grown in the hours since Lizzie had last seen her. She cried a lot — probably because she missed her mom and her brothers — but she also moved around more, staggering uncertainly on her little legs, with her tiny, pointed tail sticking straight up in the air.

“Go ahead and pick her up,” Ms. Dobbins urged Lizzie. “It’s good for her to be handled now.”

“Really?” Lizzie had never felt nervous about holding a puppy before. Carefully, gently, she picked the puppy up and held her close to her chest. Lizzie could feel the puppy’s heart beating fast. “It’s okay, little one,” she murmured. “It’s okay.” She felt her own heart fill with love for this tiny thing, all alone in the world. The puppy snuggled against her.

I feel so safe with you
.

“You know,” said Ms. Dobbins, smiling down at Lizzie and the puppy. “I think this puppy needs a name.”

Lizzie looked up. “Really? Are you sure?” That must mean that Ms. Dobbins thought that the puppy would not die.

Ms. Dobbins nodded. “Dr. Gibson said that if she made it through last night, it’s a pretty good bet that she’ll do just fine from here on out, especially with your loving care.”

The puppy nuzzled her head into Lizzie’s chest, let out a tiny sigh, and fell asleep.

“Good girl, Bella,” said Lizzie.

Bella. The perfect name for a beautiful little girl.

Ms. Dobbins stayed long enough to supervise while Lizzie fed Bella for the first time. Then she had to go. “You’re doing great,” she told Lizzie. “Bella is really going to thrive, now that she’s met you.”

By then, Lizzie knew that “thrive” meant to gain weight and grow strong. To live. She gazed down at the puppy, who lay on a thick, folded towel in her lap. Bella’s tummy was round and full of formula, and she slept soundly, curled into a warm, soft ball. “Bella,” she whispered, and the puppy’s tiny ears twitched. Lizzie felt her heart swell again. This little creature needed her so badly.

When Ms. Dobbins left, Mom went upstairs to
work on an article. Lizzie sat on the couch with Bella on her lap, watching the puppy’s chest rise and fall with every small breath she took. Sometimes there was a pause between breaths, and Lizzie’s heart would begin to pound. What would she do if Bella stopped breathing? But then Bella would wriggle a bit and give a little puppy snort and her breaths would come regularly again.

After a while, Lizzie’s foot fell asleep. When she shifted her position, Bella woke up — and immediately began to cry. She clawed her way up Lizzie’s shirt, mewing like a kitten and weaving her little head back and forth as if she were looking for something.

Feed me, feed me
!

She
was
looking for something, Lizzie realized. Something to eat! “Mom!” Lizzie called. “Bella’s hungry.”

Mom came downstairs to help Lizzie warm the formula and fill a bottle. When Lizzie put the nipple near Bella’s mouth, she latched on right away and did not stop sucking until the bottle was empty. When she was done, she yawned and began to curl up on Lizzie’s lap again. But Lizzie tucked her into her cozy box and set up the lamp over her to keep her warm. “You sleep for a little while,” she told Bella, “while I take care of some other things.”

Lizzie needed to wrap the socks she’d gotten for Maria. Also, Mom had been bugging her to clean her room, and it really did need it. Lizzie had to admit that things had gotten a little out of control in there lately. She knew she had some homework to do, but at the moment she wasn’t even sure where her backpack was. Cleanup would have to come first.

But Bella did not seem happy in her box. As soon as Lizzie took one step away, she woke up
and began to cry. Lizzie came back and stroked Bella’s head with one finger until the puppy calmed down. Lizzie still could not believe how tiny Bella was. Her head was hardly bigger than a golf ball. When Bella’s eyes fell shut and her breaths got longer, Lizzie took her finger away and stood up again. The puppy’s eyes popped open, her pink mouth yawned wide, and she began to whimper and whine. She struggled to her feet and tried to scrabble her way out of the box, crying in the most pitiful, pathetic way.

Lonely! I’m so lonely. Pleeeease don’t leave me here alone
.

“Oh, Bella.” Lizzie sighed and picked the puppy up out of her box. She cradled her close as she walked back to the couch. Bella’s cries stopped as soon as Lizzie held her, but the puppy’s heart
pumped hard and fast; it felt like hummingbird wings against Lizzie’s chest.

Lizzie sat down, trying to settle herself more comfortably this time, now that she knew Bella was not about to let her move or go away. For the rest of the afternoon Lizzie held the puppy as Bella slept and woke, cried and ate, cried some more, slept some more, and ate some more.

“You look exhausted,” Mom said when she came downstairs again to check on Lizzie and Bella.

“She won’t let me leave her, even for a minute.” Lizzie felt that now-familiar ache in her throat, and her eyes filled with tears. “And I’m afraid she’s going to die if I’m not with her all the time. She’s so little. It feels like anything could happen.”

Mom nodded. “I know exactly how you feel.” She sat down next to Lizzie on the couch. “Know why? Because that’s how I felt when I brought
you home from the hospital the day after you were born.”

Lizzie stared at her mom. “Really?”

Mom smiled and pushed the hair back from Lizzie’s face. “Really. Your dad was much more confident, but I was a mess. I felt totally overwhelmed by the responsibility. I mean, here I was, practically alone with this tiny creature who would not survive without my care!”

Lizzie leaned against her mom. “But I did survive.”

“And it looks like Bella will, too,” Mom said. “Remember, you’re not alone in this. Dad and I will take care of her through the night so you can get your sleep. And I know Charles wants to help, too.”

“I already figured out his job,” Lizzie said. “When he and Dad get home, Charles can help keep Buddy and the Bean away from Bella.
Ms. Dobbins said we should keep them apart, and I’m afraid they might hurt her by mistake.”

“Good thinking,” Mom said. “Now, do you want me to hold her for a while?”

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s okay.” As tired as she was, Lizzie felt bonded to Bella in a way that was different from the bond she’d had with any other foster puppy. As long as she was awake, she wanted to be with Bella.

At her desk the next day, Lizzie could not stop yawning.

“You look exhausted,” Maria whispered from her seat next to Lizzie’s.

Lizzie gave her friend a weak smile. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Mom had said exactly the same thing to her, and Lizzie felt as if she’d been awake every one of those hours. She
was
exhausted. Taking care of Bella was wearing her out. Mom and Dad were supposedly covering the night shifts with the puppy, but Lizzie could not help waking up every time she heard Bella cry. She had ended up helping out with feedings many times through the night.

Lizzie had not told Maria about Bella. What if the puppy died? Maria did not need to hear such a sad thing on her birthday. It wasn’t easy to keep this big secret from her best friend, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Now Mrs. Abeson stood up at the front of the classroom. “Time!” she called out. “You can put your notebooks away and get ready for recess. We’ll work some more on our Persuasive Essays tomorrow.”

Lizzie put down her pen with a sigh. She was supposed to be writing a one-page paper that would convince people to agree with her point of view. When the essays were done, they were all going to have to read them aloud. The topic she’d chosen was “Why Dogs Make the Best Friends.” She had a long list of very good reasons, but truthfully the essay was boring. Who needed to be convinced about how great dogs were, anyway? Everybody knew that. Lizzie yawned again. Maybe she would have to try another topic.

“Kiddos who want to go outside, may,” said Mrs. Abeson, glancing out the window at the gray, drizzly sky. “But if you’d rather stay in the classroom for recess today, that’s fine, too.”

Lizzie definitely wanted to stay inside. She did not have the energy today for a wet, muddy game of kickball. Anyway, she wanted to give Maria her present. She reached into her desk and pulled out the socks, which were still in the store bag. “Happy birthday,” she said, handing them to Maria. “Sorry they’re not wrapped. I’ve been kind of busy.”

Maria grinned when she opened the bag and pulled out the socks. “These are so cool,” she said. “Thanks!” Then she put them down. “So, what’s going on?”

Lizzie was ready for the question. Even though she was keeping a secret from her best friend, she did have something to tell. Something very interesting. “There’s a mystery next door,” she said. “Something strange is going on.”

“Really?” Maria looked interested. “What?”

“I — um — happened to wake up at four-thirty this morning. And I saw lights on at our neighbor’s house. You know, the Schneiders', next door? They moved out last month, and somebody new just moved in. I could see a person moving around downstairs in the kitchen: taking food out of the oven, setting the table, sitting down to eat. A little while after that, the shades went down and all the lights went out, first downstairs and then upstairs.”

“Huh,” said Maria. “It’s like they’re doing everything backwards, having dinner in the morning and then going to bed.”

“Exactly,” said Lizzie. “But why?”

Maria looked even more interested. “I wish it were a weekend so I could sleep over. We could stay up all night and spy.”

Lizzie and Maria had recently read
Harriet the Spy
, and they were thinking of going into the spy
business themselves. Lizzie had bought a notebook for taking things down (it had a collie on the cover) and Maria had asked for a flashlight for her birthday.

“Mm-hmm,” said Lizzie. It was just as well that Maria couldn’t sleep over, since then the secret about Bella would be out. “Too bad. But I’ll keep an eye out myself and let you know what happens.”

Lizzie’s heart fluttered as she pushed open the door when she got home from school that day. Had Bella made it through the day? The house was very quiet. Where was the puppy? Buddy came running into the hallway to greet her, but before she could even ruffle his ears and say hello, he dashed back toward the living room. “Mom?” Lizzie called.

“In here.” Mom was in the living room, with Bella in her lap. She looked very tired. Buddy
padded around the room, unable to sit still. He whimpered a little and put a paw up on the couch, trying to get close to Bella. “No, Buddy.” Mom sighed. “It’s been a long day,” she told Lizzie. “Bella cried almost constantly, and it’s been like a fulltime job to keep Buddy away from her. Your dad is napping now so he can do the first night shift.”

“But Bella looks good.” Lizzie picked up the tiny pup. “Check it out! I think she has three new freckles.” Ms. Dobbins had explained that as she grew, Bella’s coat would show more and more red spots. Lizzie kissed Bella’s round, soft tummy. “I can tell that she ate well today, too.” Lizzie thought Bella might have gained at least a pound since she had first seen her.

“She did,” said Mom. “I really think she’s going to make it.”

“I do, too,” said Lizzie. But she sounded more certain than she felt. Bella was still the youngest
puppy the Petersons had ever fostered, and she needed so much care. Lizzie was tired, and so were Mom and Dad. How long could they give Bella the attention she needed?

A little bit later, Lizzie held Bella while Mom mixed up some puppy chow slurry. Charles had gotten home by then and he was trying hard to keep Buddy away from Bella, distracting him with toys and treats. But it was like Buddy was magnetically attached to the newborn pup. When the food was ready, Lizzie brought Bella into the kitchen to eat. Buddy followed close at her heels. “Charles!” Lizzie yelled. “Come get Buddy!”

Bella ate, slurping greedily. “She likes it,” Lizzie said.

“Good,” Mom said. “The more of this she eats, the fewer bottles we’ll have to give her.”

“And the better she’ll sleep.” Lizzie held up both hands, fingers crossed. “Hopefully.”

But Bella’s cries woke Lizzie over and over again in the night. No matter how full her tummy was, Bella seemed to need to be held whenever she woke up. Mom and Dad kept telling Lizzie to stay in bed, but how could she sleep when she knew Bella needed her?

Finally, at five in the morning, Lizzie decided she might as well stay up for good. She carried Bella’s box downstairs. While she was in the kitchen mixing up slurry, she saw the front door open at the new neighbor’s house, where all the lights were already on. A girl with long, black hair stepped out onto the porch. Lizzie’s eyebrows went up. Had a girl her age moved in next door? A girl who stayed up all night and slept all day? The mystery was growing.

For a second, Lizzie thought about running upstairs to get her spy notebook, but she realized she was too tired to take notes. Instead, she decided to take the easy way out. Picking up
Bella, she went to her own front door and slipped outside.

The girl on the porch next door must have spotted Lizzie. She waved, then held up one finger in the “wait-a-minute” sign. Then she disappeared inside.