love thursday: luna

One August evening I came home to find P making dinner, a little annoyed that I was late. Oops! Using my sweetest voice, I asked what was cooking.

P: Ti piace il cane? (Do you like the dog?)

Me: Whahuh? (Whahuh?)

He pointed under the table, and there was a real live caramel-colored pooch with big brown eyes staring at me.

About a year before, I had taken in a stray, but he had passed away the previous week. The last thing I expected in the house was a puppy, especially since I insisted I wasn't ready for another one just yet, that I needed time to heal.

I was wrong.

P knew I couldn't live without a dog for too long, so he went and rescued this pup from a family that had been calling her "Nessuna"--Nobody.

What's that sound? Your heart breaking?

I squatted down to look Luna in the eyes (P had already renamed her), to which she responded "Grrrrrrr." How cute.

I told him to take her back.

I was joking, of course, but only half-heartedly. Dogs always love me! What was her problem?

After dinner, P went out for coffee, but I didn't want to leave Luna alone so we stayed home. Together. Just the two of us. She was still growling a bit as I pulled her up onto my lap, but I held her close, spoke in a soft, annoying baby voice, and scratched under her chin.

About ten minutes later, I called P.

Me: Sono innamorata! (I'm in love!)

P: Grazie. Anch'io. (Thanks. Me too.)

Me: No, di Luna. (No, with Luna.)

Ever since I saw "Love Thursday" on italian trivia (Jennifer discovered it on Karen's Chookooloonks), I wanted to play, too. So here's my first installment, posting the love encompassed in this sweet face looking up at me every morning.

I love my Luna Balloona.