Lena was seated on the wooden swing in her backyard and was gazing upwards towards the sky. Looking back, it had been one of those days where nothing stuck together as planned. She had forgotten her homework, juice had spilled on her favorite sweater, and she had even tripped in the hallway in front of the entire school. “Could this day get any worse?” she thought to herself.
Just then, a light bark captured her attention. A mangy little dog was standing at the edge of her backyard. Its fur was a mess, and it was clear that it had not been fed in a while. “Hey, little guy,” Lena said as she kneeled, feeling a bit sorry for the dog.
The dog came running over and started licking Lena’s hands. It was nothing short of a miracle. This was the first good thing that had happened today. Lena carefully petted the dog’s head. “Are you lost? Do you have an owner?” she asked while trying to find a collar, even if she knew she wouldn’t find one.
Lena dashed into the house and brought out a small dish filled with water and some leftover chicken from dinner. The dog ate furiously and wagged his tail with such strength that Lena had to remark, “You must be really hungry.”
So that night, Lena made a little bed inside the garage alongside an old blanket which served as the dog’s bed. She was sure her parents were going to either toss it or not let them keep it, but at least she could give it a safe place to sleep for the night.
The dog was still there, covered in the blanket when she rushed outside the next morning. She was able to whisper, “Good morning, buddy.” The dog jumped while licking her face, making her giggle and say good morning.
Lena was able to tell her parents about the dog during breakfast. As always, her mom and dad started exchanging looks. But this time around, her dad responded. “We need to check if someone lost him, Lena. If he has no owner, we can think about keeping him.”
Hearing this, Lena nodded, wishing for nobody to step up. She spent the day crafting several posters and scanning the internet for missing dog notifications but to no avail. Days went by and Lena and the dog, whom she fondly named Scruffy, grew closer with each passing day. They spent time playing out in the yard, taking long walks, and even sitting together while Lena did her homework.
“My dear, no one has tried to claim Scruffy,” Lena’s mother said after a week had passed while her father reassured her that everything was going to be fine. “So if you are ready for the duties that come with him, you may keep him.”
Tightly holding onto Scruffy as she squealed in joy while thanking her mother, Lena screamed, “I promise to take care of him!”
It had been a week after that confrontation and Lena had found herself within a reality where Scruffy accompanied her everywhere. Realizing what had transpired next to her, she smiled knowing everything about the events from a few days ago and how had she endured the most terrible day of her life. But without all of those horrible situations, she would have never met Scruffy. Sometimes, all it takes is one tedious day to strike all the good things one hopes for.
At this point, Lena felt a breath of relaxation take over her happy mindset. She didn’t feel just happy—she felt blissful. The realization that was able to put Lena within that state came to her when Scruffy let out a sigh while getting in close and cozying up to her. At that moment, both of them were precisely where they were supposed to be.
