Your Time

Chapter 35

Once all the kids were on the couch in the living room, Harrison and Carrie announced a new surprise for the family.

"What is it mom?"

"Will you tell us please!?"

She whistled. "Before you get your surprise, you guys have to know it's going to be a big responsibility."

"We can handle it mom."

After getting an affirmative from all the kids that they were ready to handle the surprise, Carrie made Harrison go get it from the garage. When he opened the door from the kitchen to the garage after heading outside, a chocolate lab came running in.

"You got us another dog!?"

The chocolate lab ran circles around the living room, going over to each of the kids to get pet, going to Harrison and Carrie, and back to the kids. Since Gary mainly lived with her mom now, they thought it would be a good idea to get another dog, like the one they had all those years ago; Chance.

"Mom what's his name?"

"Her name is Leia."

"Like Princess Leia?"

Carrie nodded. "Yes. The people at the shelter told me that's where her name came from. They had another lab named Luke and a dog named Yoda."

Leia ran over to Harrison who sat beside the bag of toys. He gave a small rope to Leia, who ran over to Billie and began to play tug of war with her.

"Mom, where did you get her?"

"We adopted her from the animal shelter. She was in need of a good home," she answered Emma.

"She's adorable!"

After Leia got tired of playing tug of war with Emma, she laid on the floor with a thump and demanded the kids rub her belly. When they didn't get off the couch right away, she sat up, barked at them, and rolled back on her back.

Ben slid off the couch and began to rub her belly. When he was done, Leia jumped on the couch between the three other kids. She did a few circles before laying down on Billie and Emma's lap.

When Leia did that, it reminded Carrie of when Chance would do that to her and Harrison. They'd be laying together and he'd just plop himself right in between them. She thought it was cute, but Harrison would be annoyed.

She laid on the kids who started petting her and laughing as she licked Adam. "Leia!"

Leia made her way across the kids so all her weight was on Adam. Then she continued to lick him as the laughter continued to erupt from everyone else. She kept licking him until he started petting her. "Okay I'll pet you," he told her.

•••

Later that afternoon, all the kids and Harrison were in the pool while Carrie sat on the edge with Leia. "Mom you should come in!"

She shrugged. Leia lay next to her, allowing Carrie to rest her arm on her back. "You tired?" She asked Leia.

Leia didn't even look up at the sound of Carrie's voice. All the kids played with her this afternoon, throwing frisbee and tennis balls for her to fetch. She was wiped out.

In the pool, Harrison and the kids were playing a game of hide and seek, which pretty much was the person looking had to close their eyes and find everyone else.

Billie was in the middle. Someone giggled and she lurched forward in the direction of the giggle, but instead got the side of the pool.

Carrie would admit, it was pretty funny to watch. Adam swam right by her and she didn't notice. "Billie," Harrison teased.

She turned around, once again swimming towards the sound of his voice. But she again came up empty. The kids and Harrison were now spread out all around the pool. When the water became still, and Ben made the slightest move, Billie jumped back and tagged him.

The way the kids played was every time someone got tagged, they would have to close their eyes and help the person that was in the middle until everyone had been tagged.

Over the next few minutes, Billie and Ben were able to tag Emma and Adam. But they weren't able to get their dad. It was several minutes before someone almost got him. When he passed by Carrie sitting on the edge, she grabbed him and held him back. "Billie get him!"

Harrison tried to escape her grasp, but she held him back with her arms under his and her legs locked around his torso. Hearing her mother, Billie swam across to tag her dad. "I got you!"

"Your mom helped you out," he said with a smile, looking up at Carrie who legs rested on his shoulder. Harrison turned to face her. He put his hands on her waist and slowly pulled her towards him. Then he dunked her in the pool. "Harrison!"

He laughed. "Payback."

Floating next to Carrie was a water gun which she filled up and blasted her husband. The kids followed suit until it was the five of them against Harrison. He swam across to the other side of the pool. The kids and Carrie followed, still spraying him. "Ok I surrender!"

Carrie blasted him again. "I'm serious! I surrender!"

After the kids and Carrie stopped picking on Harrison, Adam, Emma, and Harrison all played catch in the pool with a football. Carrie took her post next to Leia on the edge as Billie and Ben floated around on rafts.

The first time Harrison threw the ball to Emma, Leia stood up beside Carrie, and took one giant leap in the pool, catching the football in her mouth before she hit the water. Leia hit the water with a big splash.

She swam around with the football in between her teeth, as Harrison and Adam followed her, attempting to get the ball from her. "Leia come!"

Leia swam over to Carrie who was able to coax the ball from her mouth and give it back to Adam. Then she helped her dog out of the pool. The very next throw, Leia did the same thing until they let her in on the game of catch.