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Ever since Pete brought that miserable-looking runt of the litter home from wherever he found the sweet pup, Theo was always protective of Amelia. It was something Penny noticed and found adorable at first. However, it quickly lost its appeal when she would notice Theo growling at her whenever Amelia would come home crying. She already had enough self-doubts about her parenting skills without a dog deciding to give his two cents on the matter as well.
Theo, of course, always loved Pete. It never mattered to him if Pete left at random times and didn’t return for years down the road. As long as Pete pet him when he walked in the door and used that affectionate tone of his, Theo forgave every transgression.
For Penny, though—not so much.
Shooing Theo off Amelia’s bed so she would sleep through the night? Mortal sin.
Bringing her home from school when she was sick? How dare you let my human get sick. And it was always followed by a series of bitchy barks that she had no doubt was Theo telling her off.
Letting Amelia go away to summer camp that one summer with her friends? Well, Theo let his objections be known by leaving little surprises every morning in various spots for Penny until his prized human was home again.
Penny loved Theo. She really did. He was a good pup—as long as Amelia was happy.
During the entire depressing time when she and Amelia fought practically every night because they were both stubborn independent Benjamins who were convinced they were right and the other was wrong, Theo refused to listen to any of Penny’s commands . . . and refused to leave Amelia’s side unless he was dragged away from her by force.
But through it all, she was glad her daughter had such a fiercely loving companion like Theo in her life. Growing up, there had been times when Penny herself wished her father allowed her to have any kind of pet in her life, much less a dog. It had probably been the driving reason why she kept Theo after Pete left, leaving behind Theo as his consolation prize. Penny never wanted her daughter to feel lonely like she had growing up, and Theo certainly never let Amelia feel lonely. That was for certain.
She had thought all her rough patches with Theo was behind her when Pete and Tom entered their hearts and lives. The sweet pup certainly wagged his tail joyously anytime he saw either of the men. Though, his best and happiest tail wagging was always reserved for Amelia.
Theo adopted Tom as quickly as she had, in fact. He initiated poor Tom, in fact, with a series of slobbery kisses whenever he could manage to crawl up onto the bed without Penny noticing and scolding him as quick as he got up there.
The only person Theo wasn’t quite sold on, it seemed, was Bradley, but he was coming around lately the more the aviator was around the house.
In the past few days, though, Penny noticed Theo start to growl more at her, clearly irritated with her about something. She had tried to figure it out, but she couldn’t think of anything she did lately to warrant such a reaction.
Amelia was getting back to her usual happy self after her unfortunate breakdown she had with Pete and Tom after school a few days back. Hearing how her child had been so upset over her shitty ex-husband again hurt, but she was so glad Pete and Tom were there to help their daughter through her heartbreak.
Penny didn’t think that Amelia being upset about her shit ex-husband could be why Theo was acting the way he was, though. This seemed more personal in nature, more offended on Theo’s part. She honestly didn’t know what she did this time to upset him so much this time.
She knew Amelia was talking to Ethan again based on how much her daughter rambled about the younger Simpson at the dinner table lately.
“What are you doing, Pen?”
She glanced up at her husband from where she was sitting watching Theo across the room.
“You honestly don’t see that look?” she asked Pete, motioning to the glaring family pet. She frowned when Theo’s tail wagged the second her husband glanced at Theo. “He’s upset with me for some reason, and I don’t know why.”
“Sweetheart . . .”
“No, okay, no, Pete. I know you don’t see it, but I’m telling you. He’s upset over something.”
He kissed her temple silently before he moved towards Theo and squatted down in front of the Labrador, petting Theo fondly.
“All right, Theodore, young man, you have to stop getting upset with my wife. Otherwise, you and I are going to have some problems, bud. Get me?”
She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest.
“What?” he replied, meeting her gaze. “I’m showing you that I’m taking this seriously. If you say he’s upset with you, then I believe you and am going to help get to the bottom of it for you.”
Groaning, she whirled around and headed towards their bedroom.
At the low expectant growl behind her, she shook her head.
“Theo!” Pete scolded. “Quit that!”
Maybe now her husband would actually believe her.
She grabbed the clothes basket she had discarded onto the floor earlier in the week and started to put away the folded-up piles of clothes. There were several blouses of hers and numerous ones of Tom’s that she hung with care in their shared closet.
It wasn’t until she reached the bottom of the pile that she stopped at a familiar folded-up hoodie.
The exact hoodie she knew her daughter had been desperately searching for lately.
Grabbing it from the pile, she headed to Amelia’s room, noticing Theo waiting in the hallway and watching her closely. She opened her daughter’s door and stepped inside, setting the hoodie atop of the end of Amelia’s bed. When she stepped out a second later, Theo huffed out loudly as if to say About time before he hopped to his feet and trotted into Amelia’s room to inspect Penny’s work for himself.
“Well, Commodore Theodore, does it meet your seal of approval?” she scoffed.
Theo barked twice before he laid down contently in front of Amelia’s bed while he waited for Amelia to come home from school.
Penny rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Own a dog, they said. It’ll be wonderful, they said.
Yeah, if said dog wasn’t an over-protective golden Labrador named Theo.