I was a bad girl. I ate Lily’s food. That’s what bad girls do. Eat their sister’s food.
I could tell Mom was really disappointed in me. I could tell by the way she looked at me. She put her hands on her hips. Then she sighed. But it was that look in her eyes. That was the worst.
Mom trusted me with Lily. She trusted that I wouldn’t eat Lily’s food. I couldn’t help myself. After all, it was Mom who didn’t latch the gate. That’s the gate that’s supposed to keep me out of the kitchen. That’s where Lily eats. In the kitchen. I eat in the dining room.
So, it was Mom’s fault for not latching the gate. Well, that’s what I told Mom anyway. It wasn’t my fault. It was hers. I couldn’t help myself. After all, I was hungry, and Lily didn’t eat all her breakfast. She never does. That’s a cat thing. Having food out all the time to nibble whenever they want.
I’m a dog. We eat all our breakfast. And mine was a long, long time ago. And dinner was a long, long time away. Why can’t I have food out all the time to nibble on? If I always had food out all the time I wouldn’t have broken into the kitchen and stolen Lily’s food.
Mom just kept looking at me. That made me feel really, really bad. I don’t like it when Mom looks at me like that. Like she’s really, really disappointed in me. I guess she has a right to be. I shouldn’t take Lily’s food. It doesn’t belong to me. It’ll probably make me sick too. It’s not good for me.
Mom started to walk away, back into the kitchen on the other side of the fence.
“I’m sorry, Mom. Really, I am, I cried. “I promise to never eat Lily’s food again. I promise, promise.” I look up at Mom. She leaned down and petted my head. Then she lifted my chin and looked right into my eyes. “I promise to leave Lily’s food alone forever and ever,” I said. She smiled and pulled me close. Really, really close.
I like Mom’s hugs a lot better than Lily’s food.