Change of Law and Heart

Chapter 4: A Present for a Friend

"Kodi, sit," I ordered with my voice firm. He does what he told with Vivi following the command even though it wasn't directed at her. "Kodi, Vivi, lay down." They also follow through with the command and lay down on the kitchen floor. "Okay." Saying that, they both stood up on their four limbs and excitedly waited for the two treats in my hands.

Reaching out with my hands to their level and opening them so they could eat the cookie, they gobble the cookies down in literally one bit. "Outside," I commanded again. Both head towards the front door quickly and waited not-so-patiently for me to let them out.

Once getting them backed up so the door could have enough room to open, they sprint out like a bat out of hell. They chase each other with much excitement and pent up energy; maybe later this week, I will take them to the dog park for half an hour so they could play with the other dogs. I head back inside and grab one of their ropes so they could either play with each other or I could play with them.

Kodi pushes the smaller mix to the side as she attempted to grab the other end of the rope and closes his jaws on the rope. He pulls with great force, putting his body into the entire pull and trying to rip the rope out of my hands. He playfully growls at me with his tail held three-fourths of the way telling me it's just for fun.

The brindle and white jumps on the large black mix, wanting to be part of the group. She tugs on his floppy ears to get his attention which it works. Kodi lets go of the other end, causing me to fall on my ass as I didn't suspect him to let go so quickly.

Both of the dogs run up to me, jumping/standing on my stomach and licking my face, making it hard to breath with their tongues going up my nose. Moments like these I love; at my age, I should have a husband with kids of my own but that's not I want. 'Family doesn't end in blood nor does it start', Zeke, Dominick, Vivi, Kodi, and the Lennox's are my family and are the only ones needed.

The reason I moved here to Maine was to get away from my family, my brother had the same thought; he moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Our father wasn't always there; he made sure we had food on the table and clothes on our back but when it came to affection, he didn't know what to do and left that to our mother. She wasn't a good person either. Just need to stop thinking about it and will hopefully go away.

Kodi bites my hand kind of gently and pulls at it to help me get it off my mind. I pick up their toy and wiggled it in front of them to tease them; it works by them wanting to play a game of tug-of-war. This time, Vivi was the one to grab the end and pull at it with all her strength. She may be smaller than Kodi but she is a strong puller will drag you across the yard if you're not careful, ask Zeke about it.

Letting go of the thick rope, I remember Dominick's birthday coming up and needed to go out and buy him a gift. A party won't be necessary, he doesn't like them or surprises as he nearly round house kicking me in the face; I was able to block it, twist his leg so he facing away from me, and put him on his face.

For the moment, the best present was to get him some ammo and maybe some new fishing gear. He lost some of it at a deadly lake that any fisher would hate. Logs and stumps liter the bottom of the lake, snatching any hook daring to fish in its area. He lost like half of his gear up there from trying fish for a huge catfish named Hugo for his size.

Heading inside with both of my dogs on my heels and grabbing the keys to my white Ford, I return outside and opened the back passenger door. Kodiak jumps in first, not having any trouble with how tall the truck is, and Vivi places her front paws on the running board, acting like pathetic princess she is. I grab her back legs and help her up into the truck. She can get in by herself when she wants to and when she is too lazy to, she acts like she can't and gets help from me.