His Human slept, her closed eyelids peeking above the edge of tumbled comforter. He made his special noise. Small. Brief. Low. Only once. Two blue eyes opened. They smiled at him.
"Good morning, Finnie," She whispered.
Joy made him wiggle. He scooted closer to the side of the low bed. She flipped the comforter back.
"C'mon, boy. Up."
He needed no further encouragement. Up he bounced, then turned and settled down, curling his backside into her belly and tucking his head beneath her chin. She folded the bedding around him. He licked her hand, twice. Warm morning snuggles were the very bestest way to start his day! And oh, what a day he had planned for them!
She lay there, still half asleep, loving the weight and warmth of his small body pressed against her. His big tulip-shaped ears tickled her chin. Just a few minutes more and then she would get up and dress and take him for their morning jaunt. She smiled at the ceiling fan whirring above. Mornings used to be something she dreaded. Then Finnegan came into her life and showed her how early mornings could be as wondrous as evenings.
Just yesterday as they walked along the edge of the woods, near a great thicket of blackberry bushes, a large black and yellow butterfly had suddenly fluttered down and landed upon Finn's head. He danced about, excited. His stubby tail wiggling. She laughed. The butterfly rode between his flickering ears for just a moment as if to say, "I have marvelous balance, don't I?" And then it lifted off and danced away on the fresh morning breeze. Finn continued to prance, all excited.
"See? See how cool my friends are?" He asked. "They can fly!! Wait until you meet the others! You shall love every single one of them."
"We'll see about that," She murmured.
"Skeptic." He always had a smart ass response. "C'mon. Let's run!" He was calling it out over his shoulder, already sprinting, pulling her off balance so that she had to scramble to keep up.
Moments later, his tongue lolling, his coffee dark eyes bright with laughter, he pulled up beside her and pounced as she collapsed into a panting, giggling heap on the dew damp grass. All thoughts of being grumpy about Monday were fizzled out in the joy of one another's company and humor. What a great way to start the day! Plus he could cover her with paw prints and she didn't care!
The softness of the bed no longer held any charm. She rubbed his ears. Time to get up and get going. She couldn't wait to see what made her smile today. She wished she could bottle this feeling in mason jars and just hand one out to every person she met. They could open the jars, hold them up to their Monday morning faces, take a deep breath and suddenly feel the stress of the coming day whoosh away as Finnegan's laughter filled their lungs. To look at the world through a dog's laugh was a changeable moment. Something she had never known before. She hugged him once, fierce, and flipped back the comforter for the second time, bouncing up and across the room to the closet.
"Tennis shoes, again?" She called out behind her.
"Absolutely!!" He barked back. Once.
That was all it took. So much time spent in one another's company allowed them the comfort of a language that others never bothered to notice. But they two knew it by heart. No translator or trainer needed. It was the language of devotion. She tied the laces tight and straightened. His big eyes were liquid with intensity. He was ready to go get his sniffs! She grabbed the leash and they trotted out into a morning already astir with Robin's hunting for worms and bees humming about the Lilacs. Never before had mornings felt so pastoral. Never before had being awake early been a welcome experience without an aspirin in one hand and black coffee in the other to help her just get through it. Now, because of this boisterous little Corgi she felt like she had fallen into a children's storybook. What was the adventure of the day today? Could the birdsong be anymore gorgeous? The leaves on the trees any greener? And could there be a more glorious sun in the entire universe? She told herself to knock it off, that waxing poetic this early in the morning was just a bit...well...much.
But Finn, rambling along beside her, looked up and kept hold of her eyes. Then he smiled, and her heart melted. How could a she not wax poetic when this little dog loved her so much?
"Oh, just wait until she sees the bigger picture," He thought happily.
He was filled with magic. All she had to do was really wake up and he would show her all the wonders of the world. Because he was a Corgi. And Corgi's know stuff.
