Chapter 1
**My mother-in-law threw my son’s dog out because she said he was “filthy”—and when my son came home from school, I found him sitting on the porch clutching that dog and sobbing.**
**I had left work early that afternoon and pulled into our driveway outside Nashville.**
**That was when I saw my nine-year-old son, Noah, sitting beside the front door.**
**His backpack was still on his shoulders.**
**Our dog, Buddy, was shaking in his arms.**
**Noah’s face was covered in tears.**
**“Mom, Grandma said Buddy isn’t allowed inside anymore.”**
**I rushed toward him.**
**“What happened?”**
**Before Noah could answer, my mother-in-law, Diane, opened the front door.**
**“That animal stinks,” she said.**
**I stared at her.**
**“You threw my son’s dog outside?”**
**Diane shrugged.**
**“He’s dirty, he sheds everywhere, and I’m tired of it.”**
**Buddy had been Noah’s dog since my father gave him to us three years earlier.**
**Noah hugged him tighter.**
**“I cleaned his paws this morning, Grandma.”**
**Diane snapped, “Stop whining.”**
**I stepped between her and my son.**
**“This is my house, Diane.”**
**She laughed.**
**“Then maybe you should ask your husband whose decision this really was.”**
**I froze.**
**“What are you talking about?”**
**Diane looked toward the living room.**
**My husband, Ryan, was standing there.**
**He had apparently been home the entire time.**
**“Ryan?”**
**He wouldn’t look at me.**
**Noah slowly stood up.**
**“Dad saw Grandma drag Buddy outside.”**
**My stomach dropped.**
**“You watched her do this?”**
**Ryan finally said, “We were going to talk about it tonight.”**
**“Talk about what?”**
**Diane smiled like she had been waiting for me to ask.**
**Then Noah started crying again.**
**“Mom, Grandma put Buddy in her car first.”**
**I looked at Diane.**
**“Why was he in your car?”**
**Noah pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.**
**It was a card from an animal shelter two towns away.**
**Then he whispered, “Grandma told Dad she was taking Buddy there while I was at school.”**
**I turned toward Ryan.**
May you like
**Before he could speak, Noah said one more thing.**
**“Dad gave her Buddy’s papers.”**
