When Irene climbed into the bathtub, it was only as the hot water enveloped her that she truly felt the exhaustion of the day. The ache in her legs and stiffness in her shoulders and neck slowly melted away in the warmth, leaving her nerves pleasantly tingling with relief.
She'd been busy all day, but the results had been good. The script was now grounded by firsthand research, making it much more solid, and she'd unexpectedly gained a puppy, too.
Leaning against the side of the tub, she felt that all the hard work had been worth it.
By the time she'd dried off and changed into her loungewear, she discovered that the whole family already knew about Lucky.
Even her father, Francis, had gotten to work himself, building little Lucky a wooden doghouse in the backyard. It had a peaked roof and looked quite impressive.
Her older sister, Sophia, had also contributed a soft old blanket to welcome Lucky, carefully spreading it inside as a mattress.
The whole family was gathered around the puppy. Her mother, Eleanor, was mixing up some puppy formula, while Ophelia crouched on the floor, gently wiping its tiny paws with a damp towel, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Lucky seemed to sense the cheerful atmosphere, too. Wobbling around, it kept sniffing at everyone's feet, doing its best to memorize each family member's scent.
After watching for a while, Francis made the final decision. "Let's put Lucky's house in that spot in the backyard." He pointed to a corner visible from the balcony of Irene's bedroom. "It's well ventilated, and easy to keep an eye on him."
But since Lucky was still so young and needed more attentive care, everyone agreed that their experienced housekeeper, Ophelia, would be primarily responsible for feeding him for now. "Once he's