Tonight’s show: Look for the Bacon Under the Cup.
It was the old Cups and Balls trick, which you could see on any street corner in New York, I’d heard. It was also one of the oldest tricks in history, dating back to early Roman magicians, I’d read, but I didn’t share that. I learned long ago that not everybody is as fascinated by tiny bits of trivia as I am.
The idea, according to the puppy training book, is that some dogs are smart enough to understand a concept called object permanence—that a thing exists even when you can’t see it. It’s a big deal when kids pick it up, but I hadn’t realized dogs could, too.
Lou, curled up on my shoulder and watching the proceedings with haughty cat disdain, was obviously a genius. I didn’t need to test her with tricks.
First, with much fanfare, Shelley showed Pickles a small piece of bacon, while Uncle Mike held the bouncy little puppy so she couldn’t lunge at it. Then, as Pickles watched eagerly, Shelley put the bacon under the middle of three cups upside down on the floor in front of her.
“Ta da!” Shelley shouted. “Release the hound!”
The hound—also known as a five-pound ball of cuteness—immediately bounced over to the cups, went straight to the one in the middle, knocked it over, and gobbled up the bacon. We all applauded wildly.
“I told you!” Shelley shouted. “I told you she’s the smartest pug in the world!”
Uncle Mike met my gaze, and we shared a private grin. The smartest pug in the world? Maybe. Or she just smelled the bacon. Either way, Pickles was the most loved pug in the world, and Shelley was the happiest ten-year-old girl, which made all of us incredibly happy. The kid had gone through a lot before she joined our family, and we loved giving her every moment of joy that we could.
“I heard there was dinner?” I looked up hopefully since the scent of Aunt Ruby’s roast beef had been tantalizing me since I’d walked in the door. “Oh! And I have a present for you.”
I handed her the bag of zucchini. “Maybe you could make zucchini bread.”
Aunt Ruby’s eyebrows went up when she hefted the bag. “That’s a lot of zucchinis. Are you sure you don’t want to keep some?”
“Trust me. I have plenty. And so does half of Dead End.”
While I told them the story of the zucchini plant, Aunt Ruby led the way to the kitchen. She thoughtfully placed a small dish of roast beef for Lou on top of the short bookcase where she kept her cookbooks to keep Pickles away from it.
“Better take Pickles outside to do her business, Shelley. Remember what we learned?”
Shelley’s little face was serious. “Puppies need to go out after every nap, every meal, and every bit of hard play or excitement. And I praise her when she does her business outside.”
“Good job!” Uncle Mike grinned as she skipped out the back door, her little dog gamboling along behind her.
“She’s doing a great job with that puppy,” Aunt Ruby said, carrying platters and bowls to the table.
I jumped in to help. “Oh, wow. This smells amazing. I didn’t get any lunch, and I’m starving.”
After Shelley came back, washed her hands, and put Pickles in her crate for her nap, since the puppy had eaten her dinner earlier, we all tucked in. I didn’t say much until I was putting second helpings of everything on my plate.
“What exactly happened today?” Uncle Mike looked concerned. “I’m worried about those relatives of Susan’s. They are not good people.”
“May I be excused? I have homework to do.”
Aunt Ruby nodded. “Of course, honey. Put your plate in the dishwasher on your way out. Tess can help me clean up.”
“Thanks!” Shelley put her plate away, kissed all three of us, and then bounded off down the hall toward the stairs.
“Don’t forget your bookbag,” Uncle Mike called after her.
“Oops!” The bookbag, which had been hooked over the back of her chair, surged into the air and floated off down the hall.
I put my fork down and stared wistfully at it. “You know, I could really use a talent like that for so many things.”
Uncle Mike laughed. “Couldn’t we all? It has been a whole new ballpark raising a baby witch. You and Molly got into your fair share of trouble, but at least Ruby and I didn’t have to worry that you’d cast a spell on the couch and make it dance.”
Molly had been my best friend and partner in shenanigans since kindergarten. She was off on a tour with her band, and I missed her terribly.
“Did Shelley—”
