What started as a simple trip to adopt a family dog turned into panic, secrets, and hard truths. That night left me questioning everything I thought I knew about trust and family.
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Last weekend, I thought I lost my son.
A man hugging his son | Source: Midjourney
It all started with a dog. My son, Andy, had been begging for one for months. Every day, same request: “Dad, can we please, please get a dog?” He was relentless, and I was getting close to caving in. But he also had to convince Kelly, my wife.
Finally, after a lot of talking, my wife agreed. She looked me dead in the eye and said, “Fine, but only if it’s small and presentable. We’re not getting some big, sloppy mutt.”
A man talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney
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I tried not to laugh. That was just her way. She grew up in a house where everything had its place, where pets were clean, polite little additions to a picture-perfect life. A poodle or a Yorkie? Sure. But a scrappy, muddy dog? Definitely not.
Our son, though? He wanted a friend.
A young boy with pleading eyes | Source: Midjourney
The shelter was noisy, full of barking and howling. My son’s eyes lit up as we walked down the rows of kennels. He bounced from one to the next, barely even looking at the little fluffy dogs we were supposed to be c
