The Unfortunate Dog Life of Maxwell Foxhound (Proof Copy for Review)

Chapter Seven: A New Family

It was day sixty-seven of living in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. If you looked inside Apricot and Maxwell's cardboard box, then you would find five newborn puppies. Cardboard boxes were surprisingly easy to find and comfortable to stay in. If they were the right size, of course.

"What should we name them?" Maxwell asked Apricot in a whisper voice.

Apricot yawned, exhausted. "Well, after my mother, Olivia. What about you?"

"After my father, Wayne, then after Doctor Tuffin, Henry, and after my mother, Mildred." Maxwell looked at his five puppies who he had been yearning for. He and his partner had waited sixty-five long days for this moment. His paw had also recovered completely. Their sweaters made by Mrs. Dill had unraveled and become completely useless.

Maxwell stared down at the five little puppies. "Well, what about the fifth pup?" he inquired. The smell of cigar smoke lingered around, multiple people smoking as they walked past them.

"Trent," Apricot replied simply. "It means travel. Like our journey across Rhode Island."

"Good idea, hon."

"Thanks."

Olivia had the same eyes and black saddle pattern on her back as her father and the same pointed ears as her mother and a similar snout as her mother. Wayne had his father's snout and the same coat color and eyes as his mother. His tail was long like his father's, and he had the same pointed ears as his mother. Trent looked like his mother, except he had floppy ears and his father's eyes. Henry looked like his father but had the same coloring as his mother. Mildred looked a lot like her mother, with similar coat colors, eyes, and snout.

"Wow. I can't believe that they're... here," Apricot murmured wearily.

"Yeah," Maxwell replied quietly. "I'm so excited that they're here. We finally have a family."

~*~
Day and night came and went. It was the next day, and an abundance of pedestrians was passing by Maxwell's cardboard box home on the sidewalk. One person, specifically a man with a business suit and brown eyes, passed by. He stared inside the box and noticed the dogs.

He scoffed and muttered, "People these days, leaving their dogs out here. Sick, these people must be."

"Mom?" Olivia whispered suddenly, looking up at Apricot.

"Hush, Olivia, your siblings are asleep," Apricot replied, trying to calm Olivia back to sleep. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Did she just say—?" Maxwell began to say, awestruck.

"Mom?" Apricot guessed, finishing his sentence. "Her first word."

Everyone stood silent for a few seconds.

The man seemed to have left a while ago, and multiple other people were passing by, saying things like, "Aww!" or "Can we keep them?" or even "Poor things". Everyone put pity on them. But one family, in particular, was the most concerned.

"Momma! Momma!" a small girl, estimated to be six, exclaimed. "Can we keep them? Just look at them, Momma!"

"Well, let's see what your father says to that," her mother—who was quite skinny and young, and had long red hair and green eyes—replied, turning her head to look at a young, thin, tall man with jet black hair and blue eyes.

"Er... umm... well, maybe. Let's bring them to the Veterinarian, first, Lisa," he answered.

"Okay, Papa!" Lisa, the little girl, squealed.