Chapter 1
My mother-in-law threw my son’s dog out because she said he was “filthy”—and when my son came home from school, I found him sitting on the porch clutching that dog and sobbing.
I had left work early that afternoon and pulled into our driveway outside Nashville.
That was when I saw my nine-year-old son, Noah, sitting beside the front door.
His backpack was still on his shoulders.
Our dog, Buddy, was shaking in his arms.
Noah’s face was covered in tears.
“Mom, Grandma said Buddy isn’t allowed inside anymore.”
I rushed toward him.
“What happened?”
Before Noah could answer, my mother-in-law, Diane, opened the front door.
“That animal stinks,” she said.
I stared at her.
“You threw my son’s dog outside?”
Diane shrugged.
“He’s dirty, he sheds everywhere, and I’m tired of it.”
Buddy had been Noah’s dog since my father gave him to us three years earlier.
Noah hugged him tighter.
“I cleaned his paws this morning, Grandma.”
Diane snapped, “Stop whining.”
I stepped between her and my son.
“This is my house, Diane.”
She laughed.
“Then maybe you should ask your husband whose decision this really was.”
I froze.
“What are you talking about?”
Diane looked toward the living room.
My husband, Ryan, was standing there.
He had apparently been home the entire time.
“Ryan?”
He wouldn’t look at me.
Noah slowly stood up.
“Dad saw Grandma drag Buddy outside.”
My stomach dropped.
“You watched her do this?”
Ryan finally said, “We were going to talk about it tonight.”
“Talk about what?”
Diane smiled like she had been waiting for me to ask.
Then Noah started crying again.
“Mom, Grandma put Buddy in her car first.”
I looked at Diane.
“Why was he in your car?”
Noah pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.
It was a card from an animal shelter two towns away.
Then he whispered, “Grandma told Dad she was taking Buddy there while I was at school.”
I turned toward Ryan.
May you like
Before he could speak, Noah said one more thing.
“Dad gave her Buddy’s papers.”
