Val licked at her dry lips to moisten them. Next, she cleared her throat, as if that too, might help. Nothing could prepare Val to articulate how desperately she wanted to save Foofy. The thought of losing him filled her with fear, the sort of worry that made her stand here dumbly in front of her mother, stalling. At last, Val managed to speak in a low, slow voice. “The dog that I want as a pet is scheduled to be put down tomorrow if no one adopts him.”

“Oh, I am so sorry, Val. That is horrible!” her mother said. The fingers on one hand covered over her lip in a show of concern.

Whether she reacted in a genuine way or only put on a faux display of concern, Val could not tell. After the way that her mother had deceived her in regards to Ross’s disappearance, she did not know if she could be sure of anything with her mother, anymore.

At any rate, Val continued in a level voice, “Because of the time sensitive nature of this situation, I would like to adopt Foofy now.”

“Is that the dog’s name? Foofy?”

“Yes."

"That's a nice name for a little dog." Her mother paused briefly, making Val wonder if she ought to correct her. Shortly after, her mother continued with asking questions. "Is he well-behaved and house-trained?"

“I can't say for sure about being house trained, but don’t worry!" Val said hastily. "He’s an excellent dog and intelligent, too. Anything that he does not know, I will teach him. Plus, Keep the Peace makes it extremely easy for me to work with animals. I can handle him well."

Her mother nodded along. “I do hope that you are right. I would rather not pay for any damages that this Foofy of yours should make around the apartment. We are barely scraping by as it is.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I will be sure to train him well.”

“Good. We can go to the animal shelter tomorrow to see this Foofy dog, first thing in the morning.”

Val’s chin lifted higher, almost from surprise. She could feel her eyes lighting up, beaming in her head. “Really? Truly?”

“Yes, but of course.” Within a second, her mother switched to a lecturing tone. “See? That was not so hard, was it? You only need to tell the truth and ask for help. As your mother, I will always be on your side. Many others will be too—you just have to learn to discern your allies.”

“Thanks, Mom!” From her exuberance, Val dashed forward to squeeze her mother into a hug, the tightest one that she could give a mortal. Her heart froze for a moment in that embrace. Likewise, her blood ran cold.

Val stepped away from her mother with her face twisted up into a wince. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. Hugging her own mother had felt wrong to her.

After the way that her mother had sent Ross away, Val could not find it within herself to forgive her mother so easily. “First thing tomorrow morning, we will go to the animal shelter.” Her voice returned to that even, impersonal tone. Val turned to retreat to her room for the rest of the evening.

“Val,” her mother said, clipped, “there is one more thing.”

Why should there be any other terms to this deal? It was more than a favorable enough trade already—her feigned forgiveness for a dog.

“I do not expect for you to forgive me instantaneously, but keep in mind the deal that you have just made. You are getting your dog a month early in exchange for you forgiving me over what has happened with Ross. I want you to be happy here, Val,” her mother insisted.

“I understand,” her words said, yet Val would not grant her mother with the relent of so much as a sigh. She carried on to her room where she made herself scarce for the rest of the evening.

Come Saturday morning, Val could not keep herself from wandering about the apartment in excitement. Today, her mother would meet Foofy and from then on, he would be her very own dog. As such, the two of them would be able to spend every single day together.

“You certainly seem to be in high spirits,” her mother observed while they walked together to the animal shelter.

Val strode on a ways ahead, pushing their pace so that they could arrive at their destination sooner. In step, she spun around and continued to walk backwards. “How could I not be excited? You should be too. We are going to visit the newest member of our family today!”

In a soft stammer, her mother said, “It is not a sure thing yet, but yes, we are going to see Foofy at the very least.”

At the animal shelter, Val held the door open for her mother. “After you.” From there, she bounded inside for herself and greeted the shelter worker. “Hello! I have brought my mother with me today, just like I said.”

“Good morning, Val,” the shelter worker said, followed by a greeting to her mother. “Hello, Miss. I gathered from your daughter that the two of you have a particular dog in mind.” With a welcoming wave of his arm, he headed toward the door which led to the run with all of the dog kennels.

Val grinned wider with each step that she took closer to Foofy. Before they even passed through the doors, the calming energy of Keep the Peace poured out from her. Foofy would need to be on his best behavior to make a good first impression on her mother. As such, Val did not waste her efforts on the other dogs, because that way, Foofy could seem all the better by comparison.

The door opened to the hallway lined with cages. The odor of the animal shelter grew more pungent, but nothing could swipe the smile from Val’s face.

There, Foofy awaited her. He sat proud and proper, as though he could sense the significance of this day. Amid the barking of the other dogs, Foofy sat as the pinnacle of serenity with help of Keep the Peace.

Val brought her mother to stand in front of Foofy’s kennel.

“So?” her mother tossed out her arms while her head swiveled around. “Which one is Foofy?”

“Foofy is right in front of us,” Val said.

“Oh. Oh,” her mother drawled out longer for a second time. “Foofy is a Doberman Pinscher.” Her mother’s brow contorted up in deep furrows of concern.

The way that her mother’s face fell made the smile wipe from Val’s lips likewise. “Is… that a problem?” Her heart beat away, quick and dreading while she prepared for yet another fight with her mother.