"Play With Me!!"

Heavy panting sounded loud in the darkness of the bedroom. The bed bucked and sloshed. Mom groaned.

“Lucy! Settle down!”

“Can’t! Can’t! Can’t!” Lucy panted. She jumped on Jo – he growled. She rolled on Dad – he grunted, then reached out and pulled her in close, so she couldn’t move. Lucy struggled and whined in her attempts to get free.

The noise woke Elbie in the spare room, and as he headed outside to do his business in the dark, Lucy broke free from Dad and hurtled at breakneck speed down the stairs. JoLee, thinking something interesting might be going on, followed close behind her.

Lucy’s barks could be heard echoing throughout the neighborhood. “Elbie! Jo! Play with me! Here’s my ball!”

Elbie rolled his eyes, finished emptying his bladder and headed for the dog door. “You silly grrl – it’s 3:00 in the morning! Nobody plays at 3:00 in the morning – it’s time to sleep!

Lucy looked up with huge dark eyes at the nearly-full moon hanging in the sky, and said, “It’s almost bright as daylight! It’s time to play!”

JoLee snorted and shook his head. “No way!”

And who was it that was sound asleep when it was time for Mom and Dad to get up and go to work?

Oh, yes. Miss Lucy.