Still pitch-black outside, Santa had left the tree lights on, transforming the front room into a Christmas wonderland. We always celebrated in the front room, yet, no one was there.
Once I reached the kitchen, I wasted no time. "What 's going on and why aren 't you in the front room?" I asked, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. Then, I spotted her
"A puppy," I squealed. "Santa brought us a puppy!"
Joyful tears blurred my eyes as I dropped to my knees, scooping the puppy into my arms. The sweet, skunk smell of puppy breath--an odor I 'd always loved--filled my …show more content…
That 's when my parents caved in. My father situated the puppy and her rug in the entryway of the front room, reminding us that this was a one-time deal.
In between opening presents, we innocently forgot about the rules, motioning and calling Gretel, but the elves had done a flawless training job. The puppy obediently remained on her rug and never overstepped her boundaries. Of course, we kids took turns keeping Gretel company and after each visit, Gretel 's rug mysteriously inched closer to the action.
Throughout the day, Gretel greeted each friend and neighbor who stopped by with a wag of her tail and sweet puppy kisses. Everyone adored her. Even my grandparents loved her.
That Christmas was such a blur of puppy love, I don 't remember any of the other presents we opened or even sitting down to our Christmas