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My dad was sleeping when I arrived, but Joanie was not. She kept him from seeing any of the coverage of the parade today, in part because a doctor came in to examine him right at noon, but she saw it.

And she was not impressed.

I told her I took care of it, and when I told her what I did, this time she was impressed.

“The players also signed a card for Dad,” I say, handing over three Get Well Soon cards in an envelope along with some additional handwritten notes to my father.

I didn’t read them.

I couldn’t—not because they were sealed, but because it felt too personal to him and I knew that reading them would only slay me. I know how important this was to him to be there, but sometimes things happen out of our control. His body needed to slow down, and this was its way of warning my father that if he doesn’t take these issues seriously, he won’t be here at all.

She tears up and pulls me in for a hug.

“They were really sorry,” I say. “I have a video to show him.”

She nods. “I wish I could’ve been there today, too.”

“You were there in spirit.”

She offers a smile and waves me toward his room.

“One more thing before we go in,” I say, and she turns back to me with eyes narrowed in my direction. “The doctor said getting a pet can be good for helping lower stress, and I think we should get Dad a dog. I can take care of it when he’s not home.”

She smiles broadly. “I think it’s a lovely idea. I have a niece who’s a veterinarian. I’m sure she can recommend the best place to get a dog, along with top trainers and caretakers when we can’t be around. I wouldn’t want to put the entire burden on you since, you know, you’ll be traveling with the team, too.” She winks at me, and my hand flies to my chest as my brows knit together.

“I’ll be traveling with the team?”

She nods. “We still have to conduct interviews and blah blah blah, but you’re a lock for the social media position, Gabby.”

She doesn’t say it, but I get the feeling I’m a lock because they think it will be good for my father if I travel with the team. Maybe it’s just my own insecurities showing again, but part of me hates the idea that I’m potentially getting a job like this just because of my genetics.

“And lest you think your father has anything at all to do with this, I want you to think about what an asset you’ve become to the marketing department. Not just to me, but to the entire team. Your talent and your attitude are what got you here.”

I’m using the team’s social media accounts to mitigate the damage the new players might’ve caused today. I’m using social media to showcase the good in this team, to show the excitement and the optimism.

None of the other interns today were taking footage all day. None of the others were posting TikToks from the float. They were waving and throwing out candy and laughing and having fun while I was working.

I feel like I’m always working lately, and that’s the kind of dedication the Heat is looking for in their next social media manager.

Maybe I am deserving of the position, and maybe it’s time I start believing in myself.

I hope that sentiment continues to grow stronger as time marches forward.

My dad is released from the hospital a week after he entered it, and he’s been resting at home, which has made it harder to have secret rendezvous with Cooper.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, my dad calls me into the family room, where he’s resting on the couch with Joanie sitting on the cushion beside him.

“Can we talk?” he asks.

I nod, and I perch on the edge of the recliner nearby.

“Joanie and I were talking about what comes next for us, and with the wedding in our future and the fact that she’s practically been living here anyway…well, we think it’s time for her to sell her place and move in here, but we wanted to run it by you first,” he says.

“By me?” I ask, my hand moving to my chest in surprise.

“Of course. You live here, too, and you deserve to have a say in it,” Joanie says.

“I’d love it if you moved in here,” I say with a wide grin. I’m just happy my dad has found happiness with someone who is so dedicated to caring for him. I can see how much she loves him, and it’s the kind of love we all deserve.

I finally dial up Joanie’s niece, Nicole the veterinarian, later that day.

“I have a client who has a litter of eight-week-old Golden Retriever puppies if you’re interested. She’s here at my clinic right now if you want to swing by and take a look,” she offers. “They’re all vaccinated and microchipped, and we’ve also been working on potty training and leash training. I have everything you’d need to care for the pup right here in the office.”

It feels serendipitous—like I finally called her, and she has a puppy ready for me. I hop in the car and head over to the address she gave me, and I spot a little puppy play area fenced off in the middle of the clinic’s lobby.

Two puppies are racing around playing with each other. Another is chasing its own tail. And a fourth is lying off to the side, apparently resting after a busy morning with the other three.

A woman walks up beside me. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Gabby,” I say. “I called and spoke with Nicole a little while ago.”

She gives me a broad smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Nicole.”

I shake her hand and echo how it’s nice to meet her, too, and we turn our attention back to the dogs.

“The three playing are male, and the cutie resting over there is the lone female. There were eight total in the litter, and these four are all Darlene has left.”

I head over toward the female. “May I?” I ask, indicating that I want to pick her up.

Nicole nods. “Go right ahead while you can. That little cutie could get all the way up to seventy pounds when she’s fully grown.”

I can picture Cooper and myself hiking up a mountain with a sweet seventy-pound Golden Retriever…and then I remember that this dog isn’t for me.

She’s a gift for my dad.

Still…I live with my dad, so I’ll get the chance to fall in love with her, too. And she’ll still need walks when my dad isn’t home.

Okay, fine. Maybe I’m sort of getting the dog for me, too.

Her big brown eyes lock on mine, and she licks my chin.

“I’ll take her,” I say, and Nicole sets me up with Darlene so we can get the paperwork rolling.

She sets me up with all the supplies I need, from toys and food to a bed and a crate to keep her safe in the car, and the house is empty when I get back home.

I set up her bed in a corner of the family room, and I find a spot for a food bowl and water dish in the kitchen. I take her out to the yard to do her business, and I reward her with a treat when she does her thing. She snuggles onto my lap, and when the door opens a short while later, she jumps down and starts barking.

“Is that…is that a dog I’m hearing?” my dad asks when he walks in.

I giggle as the puppy runs over to him and starts running circles around his legs. He reaches down to pick her up, and she licks his chin.

“Oh my God, Gabby, she is the most adorable pup I have ever seen!” Joanie squeals.

“She’s yours, Dad,” I say.

He looks from the puppy back to me. “She’s mine?”

“The doctor said having a pet is a great way to reduce stress, so Joanie and I thought it would be a good idea to get you a puppy,” I explain.

“I love her already,” he says.

“What are you going to name her?” I ask.

He glances at Joanie, and then he says, “Ruby Sue.”

She bursts out laughing. It must be some inside joke between the two of them.

“Does that have some significance?” I ask.

“It’s after the girl in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation ,” Joanie says. “It was on TV last night.”

I giggle. “Ruby Sue it is, then.” I watch my dad with her and Joanie, and I can’t help but think what an adorable little family they’re creating together—a family I’m a part of.

Now if I could just get the nerve up and find the right moment to tell my dad about the next generation of this family that I’d like to create someday with Cooper, we’ll be all set.