I throw the covers off and race to the circle window that looks out over the backyard and woods. Dewey is out there right now. Safe in the She Shed/Puppy Palace. Waiting for me.

“Good morning, Dewey,” I whisper, tapping my fingers against the glass.

I step into my frog slippers and bathrobe and hurry down the stairs.

When I reach the kitchen, I see all the ingredients lined up on the counter: eggs, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, cinnamon. My stomach grumbles just thinking about it. “French toast?” I ask, even before I say good morning.

“Morning, Sade.” Mama glances over her shoulder at me from the pantry.

“Not quite,” Mom says, holding the loaf of bread in her hand. “I really wanted to make a nice big French toast breakfast this morning, but—” She shows me the bread. There’s all this seafoam green that has sprouted along the crust. “Mold.”

Normally I would be super disappointed, but right now I have other things that are more pressing. Through the glass door I see Gramps is already outside sitting on the porch, with his heavy flannel jacket and a steaming mug of coffee.

“But,” Mama continues, rummaging through the pantry, “we still have all the fixin’s for eggs and veggie bacon—”

“Faken!” Noah interrupts from the living room, where he’s already playing video games.

“Ah!” Mama exclaims, turning around with a box in her hand. “I found pancake mix!”

Mom takes the box from her, and turns it over, squinting as she points at a spot on the bottom corner. “And it has a perfectly respectable expiration date. Pancakes sound good?”

“Okay,” I say, even though pancakes are a poor substitute for French toast, but like I said—there are more important things right now.

While Moms are busy in the kitchen, I slip out the back door to see Gramps. It’s chilly this morning, especially without my coat, but the sun is beginning to shine through the trees.

“Psst, Gramps!” I whisper.

“Top of the morning, Sassafras!”

Before I even have to ask, Gramps waves his hand, bidding me to come closer. “Just so you know,” he says quietly, “I got up early to feed her before anyone else was awake, and I let her out to do her business—if you know what I mean.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Gramps!” I accidentally shout. Then, lowering my voice, I ask, “How did she seem? Do you think she slept at all?”

Gramps tilts his head from side to side and says, “So-so, good, but a little nervous. She was happy to see me.”

I look toward the shed and sigh. “We have to figure out how we’re going to spend time with her today.”

He nods. “I have an idea.”