Boss-Mummah only knows about the very worstest of Sundae’s bad sleepy-time pictures. Mostly, like this time, Sundae just wakes up with her eyes full of tears, and uses toysies, or huggies with Milly, or FluffTV turned very quiet to calm herself down. She doesn’t even remember the pictures this time, just something about meanie stallions and a pretty baby being taken away. All the babies were pretty, even the ones everybody called ugly. She sits up and wipes her eyes on the fluff around her front hoofsies.
“Sundae haf saddies?” Dapple asks, very quietly. Boss-Mummah is still asleep, a big lump in the blankeys on the human bed. Sundae nods. “Wan’ huggies?” Dapple asks, and Sundae nods again. Dapple hugs her and hums something soothing. It reminds Sundae of the mummah-song, and makes feel better and worse at the same time.
“Don’ wike dat mummah-song give heawt-huwties,” Sundae murmurs, nuzzled into Dapple’s creamy, pretty-smelling mane.
Dapple sighs. “Sundae miss babbehs?”
“Sundae miss babbehs,” Sundae says, the first time she has said it out loud since leaving the mill behind, back when her name was Number 15, and starts crying harder, still trying not to wake Boss-Mummah. Dapple just croons and holds her until she’s all done, then gives her face licky-cleanies and helps her settle down again.
The next time Sundae opens her eyes, it’s bright morning outside, and Boss-Mummah is shuffling around and making her grumbly noises. Boss-Mummah doesn’t like the morning. She says her brain doesn’t work as good, even if she gets enough sleep. She still coos sweetly to Sundae, though, and pets her and ruffles her fluff the way and calls Sundae her puffy baby, the way she always does. She pets Dapple, too, and once she puts on some clothes, she scoops them both up and carries them to the car.
“It would be a nice walk,” she says, “but I want to get you two there in time for breakfast.”
It’s someone else at the gatehouse today, a nice lady who calls Sundae adorable and gives them each scritchies around the ears before waving them off with a smile. Soon, they pull up to the big house, and even from outside Sundae can smell some of the bestest nummies. She’s lucky, Boss-Mummah believes in things called ‘variety’ and ‘health’ and doesn’t trust something called ‘the supply chain’, so she feeds Sundae and Milly and the babbehs and other friends that stay with them a special, extra-tasty kibble, and lots of things that she cooks for them, herself. Until she had come to live with Boss-Mummah, Sundae hadn’t known that food could be so good! All kinds of different things, some of which she can smell now, like eggs and apples.
Inside, there’s a whole table of food, with human plates and dishes for fluffies. Boss-Mummah walks right past it, and Sundae is so hungry she almost whines about it, but then realizes that they have to give Dapple’s collar back, and that means Boss-Mummah has to write on more papers. At least it’s only a little writing, this time, and soon Boss-Mummah is at the table, examining the bins of kibble. They all smell good to Sundae, but it feels like forever before Boss-Mummah grudgingly chooses one, dishing up a little of it before moving on to add some eggs, some apple slices, a bit of sausage, and just a little bit of fried potato.
Sundae is trying not scamper and dance too much at her heels, not wanting to get in the way, and at last her patience is rewarded, when Boss-Mummah goes to the spot set aside for new mares, and puts Sundae’s bowl down between Domino and a shaggy yellow earthie Sundae hasn’t had a chance to speak to, yet. She seems nice, wagging her tail a little in greeting, and Sundae returns the gesture before diving in. Domino is already up to her ears in her bowl, and the poor little thing is too skinny to be distracting herself with courtesies. If she does get babbehs from her special friend, she’s going to need the very bestest nummies ever, and Sundae hopes her human knows it.
With the food so good, breakfast goes quickly, and soon Sundae has licked her bowl clean. She knows she can ask Boss-Mummah for seconds if she really needs them, but Boss-Mummah is pretty good at giving her just the right amount. As she goes over to see Boss-Mummah, she’s glad to notice Domino’s human coming to check on her, and yes, taking her bowl back to the table for more. Good. Boss-Mummah smiles when Sundae comes up to her, patting her lap in invitation. Boss-Mummah is always in a better mood after breakfast. Sundae hops up on her back legs, and Boss-Mummah scoops her into her lap, offering her just a tiny taste of toast with apricot jam. It’s delicious, but Boss-Mummah always says it’s bad for both of them but worse for Sundae, so she only gets a bit.
“Have a good breakfast, kiddo?” she asks.
Sundae nods. “Bes’est nummies, Boss-Mummah! T’ank ‘ou!”
“You’re welcome,” Boss-Mummah says, and goes back to talking to the human across from her about ‘therapeutic modalities’, whatever that means. Sundae is just glad to let the food settle and observe the room. She would have carried her dish back, but the rim is a funny size and shape for her mouth. No one seems to mind, a human going around to collect empties, as other humans bring their fluffies’ dishes back. The table turns out to have rolly-thingies on it, so it’s easy to move back into the kitchen, and soon the room is set up to play again, but a little different from yesterday. It’s split in two, the big half just full of the regular toys and bedding, the other empty for now.
(And seriously, the dog’s superpower is actually being an omnivore. It can travel so easily with man because it can eat what you eat, to a very real extent. My brother’s precious dear dead dog loved strawberries.)