“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.” It was 7:00AM on Sunday morning, a few days before Christmas and my alarm was piercing through my ears. I lay there, in the small twin bed up on the third floor of our old apartment. As I glanced out the window, the brightness from outside instantly made me rub my eyes as they began to water. My first thought was where the hell is the snooze button so I can go back to sleep. When I came to, I realized I had big day ahead of me. Today was the day I would surprise my girlfriend with a gift that would change her life. As I grew anxious, I quickly threw on some clothes, headed for the car and before I knew it I was pulling up the long driveway to Puppies Galore. Walking in the door, the floors creaked from the weathered hardwood with each step. Looking ahead I was surprised and unaware of the extensive variety of puppies available. I thought, would I be able to stay focused on the specific breed my girlfriend has forever dreamed of — a West Highland White Terrier? There were three rooms total, each room gated off into small sections. As I stepped into the first room, unsure of what to expect, my eyes lit up and heart filled with awe. There she was, an adorable Westie, jumping up and down and clawing at the cage as if she already knew she was coming home. Her short, pointy tail wagged at the speed of light as she looked at me excitedly with her bright, wide eyes. At that moment, I knew she was the one. Without a doubt in my mind, I picked her up and held her for the first time; she was so light and fragile. Her fur was messy and soft as I rubbed her back with my fingers. She curled up into a ball within the palms of my hand and slowly closed her eyes as she decided that it was a good time for a nap. I brought her to the front of the building to start filling out the paperwork. Soon after, it was official, she was coming home.

While driving home, I looked at her falling asleep on my lap and wondered about the perfect name for the perfect pup– Fluffy, Snowy, Snowball…No, I needed something better…And then I thought about her breed and it came to me–Wessie. The next morning, my girlfriend was due back from visiting her family in New York. I began to plan out in my head how to surprise her with Wessie. As time slowly ticked by my nerves began to intensify. Soon after, I heard the car door shut and the front door open. Her quick-paced footsteps seemed to match my heartbeat as she swiftly came up the stairs. This was it. She covered her mouth, totally speechless, but completely filled with joy as she could not believe this little girl was hers.

Before I knew it, she was all grown-up and paraded as the alpha-dog of the household-growling at strangers who walked “too close” to us, putting larger dogs in their place at the dog park, stealing our sock from the hamper while we slept and acting like the little terror that she was (not to mention the time she proudly ate a whole bag of chocolate and brought us the wrapper when done). But at the end of the day, she would always come lay next to me and nudge for me to pet her; she would turn over on her back for me to rub her belly and if I stopped even for a second, she would gesture her tiny paws for me. Sometimes, while I tried to get work done on my laptop, she would slowly maneuver her way onto my lap and then plop herself on top of my keyboard; if I tried to use my phone, she would cover my screen with her face and stare at me with her big eyes as if to ask if I felt like petting her yet. The lonely nights when my girlfriend left for vacation now ended with this cuddle bug. She always had this warm feeling of comfort when she curled up next to me. And then it dawned on me, the main reason I bought her was to be a perfect gift for my girlfriend. But, in reality, she was a gift to me –I felt a sense of fulfillment and company through having her. I wanted to protect her and ensure she was not only healthy and happy, but knew just how much she was loved. For once, I knew what it was like to care about a life other than my own. She is my best friend, my little monster, my princess but ultimately, she is my little girl.