Thomas chattered all the way to Sydney’s parents’ house, where they found Buddy had been given a place of honor on the sofa, wearing what Seth had called “the cone of shame.” The poor guy had hated the cone after his neutering surgery, but this time he didn’t seem to have the energy—yet—to do battle with it.

When he saw her coming, he raised his head and let out a weak whimper.

She worked around the cone to smooch Buddy’s face. “Awww, how’s my good boy?”

He licked her cheek.

“Mom? Dad?”

“Be right down,” her mother called.

“Come on over and say hi to Buddy,” Syd said, holding a hand out to Thomas.

He toddled over to the sofa. “What’s smatter wid him?”

Sydney had already grown to love that serious expression of Thomas’s. “He had to have an operation.”

“How come?”

Syd took the little boy’s hand and held it for Buddy to lick. “He ate something he shouldn’t have, and it got stuck in his belly.”

“What did he eat?”

“A trash bag.”

Thomas wrinkled his nose. “Yucky.”

“Very,” Syd said, laughing. “You hear that, Buddy? Trash bags are yucky.”

“Hopefully, he’s learned his lesson,” Mary Alice said as she joined them.

“Probably wishful thinking,” Syd said. “Mom, this is Thomas McCarthy, Mac and Maddie’s son. Thomas, this is my mom, Mrs. Donovan.”

As they shook hands, Sydney noted the yearning on her mother’s face. She missed her grandchildren something fierce.

“What a handsome young man you are.”

“He’s adorable,” Syd agreed. She filled her mother in on Maddie’s condition.

Thomas giggled as Buddy continued to lick his hand.

“I can’t imagine three months in bed,” Mary Alice said, grimacing.

“No kidding. It’ll be a challenge with a busy toddler to manage, too.”

Thomas was fascinated with Buddy. “Can he play?”

“Not today. He’s got to get better first. You can come back next week to visit him. Maybe then he’ll be up for playing.”

“Why does he have to wear that hat?”

“So he won’t pull his stitches out.”

“Oh.” Thomas bent to press a kiss on the dog’s nose. “Get better, Buddy.”

“What a sweet boy,” Mary Alice said. “The vet said Buddy will be sleepy for the next few days, so don’t worry about leaving him with us for now.”

“I guess I can live without him for a day or two but not much longer.”

“Dad can bring him over whenever you’re ready.”

“Let me see how Luke is doing tomorrow.”

To Thomas, Mary Alice said, “How would you like some cookies and milk?”

Thomas glanced at Sydney, who nodded. “You can have dessert before dinner—but don’t tell your mom, okay?”

Delighted by the conspiracy, Thomas giggled. “Okay, Syd.”

Mary Alice reached out to Thomas. “Let’s get those hands washed.”