On February 2, 2020, I knew something big was about to happen. Mom had told me so weeks ago, and being the curious little fifth grader that I was, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Mom told me that this surprise was going to be huge, one that even I couldn’t have expected. With her saying so, I started thinking up the most extravagant ideas, ones that most likely wouldn’t happen, but I didn’t care. I just knew that whatever this surprise was, it was going to be good.
On the morning of February 1, 2020, I bounded out to the car, lugging my loaded suitcase, and 15,000 stuffed animals that I thought were absolutely necessary to have with me at all times. When I reached the dark gray Dodge, I flung the door open and shoved all of my stuff into the backseat, then scurried to the trunk where I crammed my suitcase. Slamming the door, I hurried over to the back, where I plopped myself down, closed the car door, and buckled myself in. I was ready to go. But I guess my mom and step-dad were not as eager as I was because it felt like ages before they got to the car. When they finally did, I was practically bouncing out of my seat with excitement. I took a deep breath as the car began to pull out of the driveway and head down the road. The adventure was just beginning!
After about six hours of driving, my back was starting to hurt and I was ready to just go to bed. We pulled up to a hotel in Kentucky where we stayed the night. The next morning I felt refreshed and rejuvenated. Mom still refused to give me a single clue as to what we were doing or where we were going. As we loaded our stuff back into the car, and checked ourselves out of the hotel, I was practically dying to know what we were doing. I think I might have started to irritate my mom and step-dad with all the questions!
We drove for at least a couple more hours, when suddenly, mom told me to close my eyes. I knew we were close, and I was so jittery. I tried my hardest not to peek! Then, the car came to a complete stop. I heard mom and Jonathan’s car doors open, and then slam shut. Soon my mom was around to my door. She opened it and helped me out of the car, telling me to keep my eyes shut. She then took my hand and began leading me down a sidewalk. Time seemed to slow as we were walking, and my heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I thought it was going to burst right out! Then we stopped walking. Mom knocked hard on something, which I guessed was a door. I listened and stiffened as I heard the door creak open. Then my mom whispered into my ear, “Okay, you can open them.”
This was the moment I had been waiting for. This was the surprise. This was it. I slowly began to open my eyes. I looked around at my surroundings. We were at a house, one I’d never been to before. In front of me was an older woman with graying hair. She was holding something in her arms, that I couldn’t quite make out. I looked back at mom, who smiled and encouraged me to go inside. I stepped into the house and walked closer to the woman. From where I was standing, I could see that the thing she was holding was a rich chocolatey brown, and…fluffy? Then the thing lifted its head, and peered at me. Its tail began to wag, and I realized what it was. A puppy.
