September 18, 2017

White Dog laughed at my surprise. "I knew that very first morning that she would end up sleeping on the bed," she said.

"Little White Dog of My Heart, Bella got here nearly four years ago. It has been a LONG wait." "But I knew the day would come."

Bella actually comes up on the bed every morning to greet me and the day. She stays for about 10 minutes and then jumps down.

But last night, she sat next to where Stormer had settled on his pink mat next to the bed and refused to allow me to put my legs up. She looked pointedly at the top of the bed where Sachi was already getting settled. "I think she wants to come up on the bed," Steve said.

I reached down to lift her up expecting she would skitter away and settle out of arm's reach. She did not. Instead she let me place her and then swing my legs up.She scoped out the territory and then settled at the angled space below my knees; Sachi took his usual spot on the foot between Steve and I.

We watch a bit of television before official "lights out." Sachi usually makes it about half an hour before hopping down and going to his favorite spot in the bathroom where he sleeps. I thought Bella would follow his example.

But amazingly, she did not. At lights out, she nestled up against me and was soon gently snoring. During the night she shifted like an experienced surfer with Steve and I as we moved in our sleep. At one point she snuggled atop Steve's chest in the breeze of the fan. When Steve got up in the morning she moved to his pillow briefly before following her usual pattern of joining him for his early morning routine around the house.

White Dog for all of her pre-WDA life slept with us. She moved into her own room when the bedroom became crowded and stayed in the office to provide an anchor for the others who rested better with privacy but still wanted a connection and later to guard Puff in her oxygen kennel.

It was a delightful reminder of those earlier days as well as being a thrilling moment of new growth in Bella's level of trust. It was hard to not reach down and cup her head or stroke her face...to make a fuss...but I feared any move on my part would cause her to jump down.

For more than an hour, I lay stone still in the darkness listening to the the sleeping Army, feeling Steve in his usual comforting spot and sensing the warmth of my Tiny Dancer on the backside of my legs (tucked against my knees). My heart swelled with love and I fell asleep thanking the Universe for a life blessed with such miracles.