[4/4]
Alyssa loved the fluffy abomination that her sister bought her as a house warming gift.
"Vic!" She called out to her eight year old daughter," Be careful with Sadie! She is getting old and cannot keep up with you like she used to!"
Victoria scowled - something she had inherited from Eva - but stopped grabbing at Sadie's ears.
Instead, she moved onto Cressida, who just huffed but did her duty as the second favourite pet in the family.
Sadie padded over to where Alyssa and Eva were sat on the sofa - Eva's head resting on Alyssa's shoulder.
Alyssa's hand immediately went out to smooth down Sadie's fur.
She was considered old now - at the age of thirteen.
It broke Alyssa's heart to see her once excitable Sadie become more subdued and slow.
She still chased the birds in the garden and she still followed Alyssa around the house but the light in her eyes was slowly dimming.
Victoria giggled slightly, drawing the attention of her mothers and Sadie - who had rested her head on Alyssa's lap.
Cressida was sitting on their daughter - looking pretty darn happy with herself.
Sadie's tail wagged lazily at the scene.
"Alright, Cres," Eva said," Get off Vic now - we need to go for a walk."
As soon as the 'W' word was said, Sadie was up like a shot - drawing Alyssa's memories back to the times that she was a puppy.
The dog loved the tall creature that she was bought for.
The dog loved Alyssa.
The dog loved Eva.
The dog loved Cressida.
The dog loved Victoria.
She did one last lap of the house - slowly but surely.
She chased the birds one last time, ignoring the ache in her old bones.
She touched noses with a sleeping Cressida.
She pulled the blanket over Victoria's sleeping body.
She settled on the pillow that was left on the floor for her in Alyssa and Eva's bedroom.
She closed her eyes.
Sadie had done her duty to her family.
Alyssa loved the fluffy abomination that her sister bought her as a house warming gift.
Sadie's picture was on her desk at work, nestled amongst pictures of Eva, of Victoria's first day of school, of Cressida and Eva's fall in the village lake together - covered in water.
It was almost like Sadie was still there.
"Mama!" Nine year old Victoria cheered as Alyssa entered their house.
Nine year old Victoria.
She had been eight when Sadie had died in the night.
Eva had made her stay in her room for a few hours while she consoled Alyssa - who had woken up first and wept when Sadie didn't wake with her.
"Happy birthday, love," Eva said as she exited the kitchen - hands covered in flour.
She gave Alyssa a kiss as they hugged.
"How was work?"
Alyssa shrugged. "Same old, same old," She said as she hung up her coat," Ben has invited us over next weekend."
"What did you say?" Eva asked.
Alyssa cocked her head to the side in confusion.
She didn't know why her wife was suddenly so worried about the answer.
"I said I would get back to him, why?"
"No reason," Eva replied," Vic - take your Mama into the living room. She has presents to open."
Alyssa's hand was captured in her daughter's and she was tugged into the living room and pushed onto the sofa.
She smiled softly, unwrapping each present and giving her girls kisses for each one.
"Is this it?" She teased when she saw the mess that they had made.
"Not quite," Eva said softly.
She rose from the sofa and left the room.
Victoria grinned at her mother - the grin she only used when she knew something that Alyssa didn't.
Eva appeared a few seconds later with a box.
It was moving and the lid had holes poked into it.
She placed it on her wife's lap and Alyssa opened it slowly.
A puppy's head poked out - tongue rolling out of its mouth and its tail made a thumping noise as it continually hit against the box.
Alyssa lifted it slowly from the box in awe.
"I know that it won't replace Sadie," Eva said softly as the puppy licked all over Alyssa's face," But I hope that you'll love her all the same."
"What are you going to name her, Mama?" Victoria asked excitedly.
"Lola," Alyssa said softly," Is that a good name, Vic?"
Victoria nodded with a grin.
"Do you like her, love?" Eva asked softly.
Alyssa just gave her a watery smile and gathered all her girls into a hug.
Eva
Victoria
Cressida
Lola.
The puppy loved the tall creature that she was bought for.
**