SCOUT'S FIRST ADVENTURE
1683 Words
*EPISODE 19:
*SATURDAY MORNING. 8:03AM. THE PLAN*
Kade stood in the kitchen with a leash in one hand and coffee in the other.
“Adventure day.”
“What kind of adventure?” I asked.
“The Scout kind.”
Lila: “Where are we going?”
Leo: “Can we bring snacks?”
Kade: “Yes. And yes.”
Scout sat by the door.
Blue bandana on.
Tail going 100mph.
Like he’d been waiting his whole life for this.
Destination: *Lakeside Park*.
First time.
As a pack of 5.
---
*SATURDAY MORNING. 9:15AM. THE CAR RIDE*
Rules:
1. Scout sits.
2. No eating people.
3. No jumping out windows.
Scout broke rule 1 in 30 seconds.
Stood with his head out the window.
Ears flying.
Tongue out.
Kade filmed it.
“Look at you, bud.”
Scout turned, saw the camera, and gave the biggest dog smile.
Leo: “He looks happy.”
Kade, quiet: “Yeah. He does.”
---
*SATURDAY. 10:00AM. LAKESIDE PARK*
It was perfect.
Sun.
Ducks.
Kids running.
And us.
First thing Scout did?
Ran straight to the lake.
Not in.
Just to the edge.
Sat.
Watched the water like it was TV.
Kade crouched next to him.
“You like it here?”
Scout leaned into him.
“Yeah. Me too, bud.”
Then chaos.
A squirrel.
Scout LOST IT.
Leash yanked.
Kade: “SCOUT!”
Scout: _zoomies_
Me: “Kade, don’t let go!”
Kade: “I’M NOT!”
We chased him.
All 4 of us + 1 dog.
Through grass.
Past joggers.
Past a grandma with a stroller.
Finally Kade tackled... gently.
Hugged Scout to the ground.
“Buddy. Breathe.”
Scout panted.
Wagged.
Like _was that fun?_
Kade looked up at me, grass in his hair.
“We’re okay. We’re okay.”
And I realized he wasn’t just talking to Scout.
---
*SATURDAY. 11:30AM. PICNIC*
We laid out a blanket.
Sandwiches.
Juice boxes.
Scout got his own: turkey, no seasoning.
Vet approved.
Lila fed him bites.
“Gentle.”
Scout took it so soft.
Leo threw a ball.
Scout brought it back.
Dropped it.
Sat.
Waited.
Kade watched all of it.
Then looked at me.
“This is good.”
“It is.”
“This is what I wanted. A normal Saturday.”
I bumped his shoulder.
“We have normal Saturdays now.”
---
*SATURDAY. 1:00PM. THE POND MOMENT*
Scout found a shallow part of the pond.
Stepped in.
Paused.
Then SPLASH.
Full body.
Went in.
Kade: “NO—”
Too late.
Scout was swimming.
Little dog paddle.
Happy.
We all screamed.
Then laughed.
So hard.
Kade waded in after him.
Jeans soaked.
Shoes soaked.
Didn’t care.
Lifted Scout out.
“i***t,” he said, smiling.
“Good idiot.”
We took photos.
Soaked Kade.
Soaked Scout.
Me laughing with my phone.
Kids in the background.
Kade looked at the photo later.
“Delete that.”
“Never.”
“Please.”
“No.”
He sighed.
“Fine. But only for us.”
---
*SATURDAY. 3:00PM. THE ICE CREAM STOP*
On the way home.
Drive-thru.
Kade ordered 4 cones.
And 1 pup cup.
Scout got his in the backseat.
Licked it for 20 minutes.
Got brain freeze.
Shook his head.
Tried again.
Lila: “He’s living his best life.”
Leo: “Same.”
Kade reached back.
Scratched Scout’s ear.
“Best boy.”
---
*SATURDAY NIGHT. 8:00PM. HOME. EXHAUSTED.*
Everyone crashed.
Scout on his bed.
Dead asleep.
Snoring.
Paws twitching like he was still swimming.
Kade sat on the floor next to him.
Didn’t move.
Just watched.
I sat next to Kade.
“Good adventure?”
“Best one,” he said.
“First of many.”
“First of many,” he echoed.
He leaned his head on my shoulder.
“I used to think Saturdays were for work.
Or for being alone.
I didn’t know they could be... this.”
“Grassy? Wet? Chaotic?”
“Yeah. This.”
We stayed there until the kids came down for movie night.
Fort.
Again.
But this time Scout was allowed in.
He tried.
Failed.
Slept outside it.
Guarding.
---
*SATURDAY NIGHT. 11:11PM. LAST THOUGHT*
Kade filled Scout’s water bowl.
Again.
Even though it was full.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because he earned it.”
“Because he’s ours.”
Kade turned off the light.
Scout sighed in his sleep.
The house smelled like lake water and ice cream.
And for the first time in a long time,
Saturday didn’t feel like the end of the week.
It felt like the beginning of something.
-----
*SATURDAY. 10:45AM. THE DUCK INCIDENT*
We thought the squirrel was the peak chaos.
We were wrong.
Scout saw the ducks.
By the pond.
10 of them.
Just vibing.
His brain short-circuited.
“Scout, no—”
He was already gone.
Not running.
Stalking.
Low to the ground.
Tail stiff.
Like he was in a nature documentary.
Kade: “Buddy, they’re not toys.”
Scout: _ignores_
The ducks saw him.
One quacked.
All 10 took off.
Flying.
SPLASHING.
Scout skidded to a stop at the water’s edge.
Looked so betrayed.
Like _where did they go??_
A little girl nearby clapped.
“Good boy!”
Scout turned, tail wagging.
Took the compliment.
Kade crouched, out of breath.
“You’re embarrassing me.”
Scout licked his face.
“Traitor.”
---
*SATURDAY. 12:00PM. THE STRANGER*
We were eating sandwiches when it happened.
Old man.
Cane.
Veteran hat.
He stopped by our blanket.
“Mind if I pet him?”
Scout was already up.
Sitting.
Waiting.
“His name’s Scout,” Kade said.
The man smiled.
Big.
“Scout. Like the dog in To Kill a Mockingbird?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“That’s a good name.”
He scratched behind Scout’s ears.
Scout leaned into it.
Closed his eyes.
The man was quiet for a second.
“I had a dog. In the service.
Best partner I ever had.”
Kade nodded.
Didn’t say anything.
Just put a hand on Scout’s back.
“Take care of this one,” the man said.
“We will,” Kade answered.
Voice rough.
When the man walked away,
Kade was quiet.
Then: “Thanks for that.”
“For what?”
“For letting him.”
---
*SATURDAY. 1:30PM. AFTER THE POND*
Soaked Kade.
Soaked Scout.
Soaked me because I tried to help.
We laid on the grass to dry.
All 5 of us in a line.
Lila.
Me.
Kade.
Leo.
Scout.
Clouds above.
No one talking.
Just breathing.
Leo: “This is nice.”
Lila: “Yeah.”
Kade reached over.
Laced his fingers with mine in the grass.
Didn’t say anything.
Didn’t need to.
Scout rolled over.
Belly up.
To the sun.
Kade scratched it.
“Living his best life,” Kade murmured.
“Same,” I whispered back.
---
*SATURDAY. 2:15PM. THE PHOTO SHOOT*
Lila had an idea.
“Family photo. With Scout.”
We tried.
Oh we tried.
Attempt 1:
Scout sat.
Perfect.
Leo blinked.
Attempt 2:
Everyone awake.
Scout decided to lick Kade’s face.
Attempt 3:
Kade held Scout.
Scout wiggled.
Kade almost dropped him.
Attempt 4:
I set the timer.
Ran back.
Sat.
Scout jumped into my lap.
Kade: “Okay new plan. Candid.”
So we did.
Walking.
Laughing.
Scout dragging Kade.
Me taking videos.
Kids being kids.
At the end, Lila took one.
All of us.
Looking at the camera.
Scout sitting perfectly.
Blue bandana bright in the sun.
Kade looked at it.
Didn’t say “delete this one.”
Just saved it.
“Lock screen,” he said.
And changed it right there.
---
*SATURDAY. 3:30PM. DRIVE-THRU DEBRIEF*
Car smelled like wet dog and fries.
Scout had his pup cup.
Brain freeze again.
Shook his whole head.
Leo: “Do you think he likes us?”
Kade, without missing a beat: “I know he does.”
“How?”
“Because he chose us. Every time.”
“Chose us how?”
“When he sat. When he stayed. When he looked at us like we’re home.”
Silence.
Then Lila: “Aww.”
Me: “Yeah.”
Kade reached back.
Scout licked his hand.
“Best boy,” Kade said again.
Like he needed to hear it too.
---
*SATURDAY. 5:00PM. BATH TIME CHAOS*
We made a mistake.
We thought “he’s small, it’ll be easy.”
It was not easy.
Tub.
Water.
Scout.
Lake mud.
The second water hit him,
he shook.
Soaked all 4 of us.
Kade: “Scout, buddy, hold still.”
Scout: _zoomies in the tub_
Me: “I have shampoo in my hair.”
Lila: “He’s so fast!”
Leo: “This is the best day ever!”
30 minutes later.
Towel burrito Scout.
Panting.
Proud.
Clean.
Kade wrapped him up.
Carried him out like a baby.
“Never again,” Kade said.
“We’re going to the groomer next time.”
Scout wagged.
Like _deal._
---
*SATURDAY NIGHT. 9:30PM. MOVIE NIGHT*
Fort was up.
Blankets.
Popcorn.
Lights off.
Scout tried to get in the fort.
Didn’t fit.
So he laid right outside the entrance.
Head poking in.
Every 5 minutes: _boop_
Nose check.
_Yep, still here._
Then back out.
Kade whispered: “He’s on guard duty.”
I whispered back: “Best security we’ve ever had.”
Halfway through the movie,
Scout sighed.
Big.
Dramatic.
And crawled all the way in.
Squished between Kade and me.
Fell asleep instantly.
Kade didn’t move for an hour.
Didn’t want to wake him.
---
*SATURDAY NIGHT. 11:45PM. THE LAST WALK*
Before bed.
Quick walk around the block.
Just Kade, me, and Scout.
Cold air.
Quiet street.
Scout trotted ahead.
Leash loose.
Checking back every few steps to make sure we were there.
Kade stopped under a streetlight.
Pulled me in.
Kissed my forehead.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For today. For him. For us.”
Scout sat.
Waited.
Tail sweeping the sidewalk.
“First of many,” Kade said again.
“First of many,” I answered.
- Writer
