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MacKenzie Isabelle Evans hurried to answer the knock. She smiled as she opened the back door. “Hi, Mrs. Woodson!” she exclaimed. “I’m learning how to make spice cookies.

Mac stopped talking. Her idea hadn’t come out exactly like she’d wanted it to. But that was the way it so often was with words.

Joseph Anderson Donetti squirmed in his seat. He shut his eyes and then opened them. He squinted and stared at the pulpit through his eyelashes. He squirmed again and felt G.M.’s hand on his knee.

“I’m so glad you’re mine!” Joseph said softly. “When it stops raining, we’ll go for a long walk together, and I’ll show you all around Jacksonville. And we can play fetch on the lawn. Maybe…

When she was finished, they dashed through the rain. Mac jumped into the backseat first and scooted across to the far side. The dog jumped in after her just as if she had been jumping…

Joseph Anderson Donetti stood up beside the kennel at the Humane Society. “OK,” he said. “I’ll look at all the dogs before I pick one.”

A blond-haired woman behind a counter looked up. “You people must really want an animal to show up here on such a stormy day!” she exclaimed.

Joseph Anderson Donetti looked at Mom. “I want a dog!” he repeated.

Joseph Anderson Donetti stared out the kitchen window and watched the rain pour down. The branches of the evergreen trees across the street waved back and forth in the wind like giant arms waving goodbye…

Hannah Maria Estevez stirred. She stretched. She opened her eyes and looked at the glowing red numbers on the clock beside her bed. 6:39, they said.