_Ugh it’s here, _I thought as they walked through the door. I had gone through this once before with my last humans. Spent months being called a good boy and watching a bump grow, only to be left at home with no warning. That’s how I knew what the warning signs were this time around.

I’m still fairly young myself, and my previous owners couldn’t take care of me anymore once _theirs_ came. That’s when I met Tom and Julie. They took me in like I was their first dog, although I know Bailey lived here before.

“This is our Bailey girl,” Julie said smiling as she placed the frame in my eyeline. That’s when I could finally breathe knowing that I was nothing new. Weeks later I saw them shouting at a stick, and it wasn’t even the one from the park I brought home.

I can’t help but feel nervous now that _it’s_ home. “Hi Huxley!” Tom greets me as they walk through the hallway. “We have someone we’d like you to meet.” I quickly ran over, licking his leg as he bent down, hoping to distract him with my cuteness. “This is Emily,” he said in a weird voice, petting my head._ Why is he talking like this? _

I tilted my head and leaned in, letting my nose catch Emily’s smells. She looked up in return, and let out a high pitched sound almost exactly like the one from that machine, the day Julie filled the kitchen with smoke. It also had a light. Emily didn’t have a light. I immediately jumped back as Tom and Julie rushed to her aid. That’s when I realized, I was second in command.

Tom stood behind Julie making these ridiculous faces as she bounced Emily and patted her back. I begged for a treat beside him, hoping he’d be too stressed to turn me down. “Emily!” Tom said with a partially annoyed giggle, his face smattered with spit. Julie collected the liquid that streamed down her face. That’s when I tried again, pawing Tom to get his attention, slowly frowning and looking down.

“Okay okay” he replied, walking to the treat jar. He pulled a treat out of the jar and gave it to me, walking away before closing it again. Being second in command wasn’t looking bad after all. Emily is alright, and if Tom keeps leaving this lid off, I think we’ll do just fine.