Adding to the Family

March 2029 - Brindleton Bay, Connecticut
Norman household: Jessica is 43, Richard is 38, Tyler is 9, Grace is 9

“I have an idea,” Tyler Norman says one morning at breakfast. “Or really, Grace has an idea.”

Grace shoots her brother a scowl across the table. “No, you promised to say it.”

“Say what?” Jessica asks her kids before they can start an argument first thing in the morning.

“That we should get a dog,” Grace says.

Jessica finishes her breakfast and stands, taking the empty bowl. “We’ve talked about this before,” she says. “Are you two ready to take care of a dog?”

“Yes!” they both shout at the same time.

Richard laughs. “Well, you heard them, Jess. They’re ready.”

But she just says, “We’ll see.”

A dog would love it at their new house, the twins are sure of that. They moved up to Brindleton Bay a few months ago, and it’s been a nice small city to play in and make friends. They know a dog will make everything perfect.

Outside of staying busy at home with raising twins, Jessica also stays busy at her fitness center, All Terrain Gym.

She keeps up her own workouts, but she also teaches classes there.

Moving in as manager and owner of the gym came about when she saw a listing for the business online saying it was for sale. The original owner wanted to move out to Sulani in the Polynesian islands, and so he was looking for someone who really knew about exercise and strengthening the body to take over. Jessica was thrilled when he agreed to sell it to her.

Now she runs the gym in the ways she thinks help out her members and visitors. The most popular classes are on perfecting punches to build arm muscles.

And the climbing wall. Jessica loves the wall and is always happy to show her gym members how to work their way up to the top.

***

“I saw a want ad for a musician down at the bar,” Richard tells Jessica one evening.

“You should get in touch with them,” she says, smiling wide. “You would do great out there.”

Moving up to a small town in New Hampshire has made things seem even harder for Richard in his music career. Not that he wants to be in an overcrowded, high price city like Del Sol Valley, but he’d like to have some movement in his career.

“Are you sure I should bother doing it?” he asks. “Who really likes my music?”

“I do,” Jessica tells him. “And I know this town will too. So let them hear your music.”

He’s been a stay-at-home dad since they moved up to Brindleton Bay and he’s really feeling that itch to get out of the house and play his music. So later that night before bed he sits down at the computer and sends a message to the owner of the bar.

He just has to hope that this really does result in good news.

The owner of Salty Paws Saloon calls Richard up and invites him to come play his guitar there one night. If things go well and the customers like his music, Richard might be hired to perform regularly.

So Richard heads out there. Jessica is at home with the kids, but if he is asked to keep playing more often she’s promised to come out to support him on nights they can find a baby-sitter they trust.

Richard is a little nervous about playing something the customers would like. He takes a few sips of beer to help relax before he starts his music.

As his fingers move over the strings, Richard knows he’s missed this. Playing his music in front of other people relaxes him and makes him feel like maybe he could reach his goals in life. He just wants to play his guitar like this, entertaining everyone around him.

And he does seem to get approval from the people in the bar. Some of them watch him perform, smiling wide and nodding to the music.

After his family, this is what Richard wants most in life. Playing his music and making people happy.

***

The kids get rough in their play sometimes and the big dollhouse upstairs starts to show some of that roughness.

It takes her a couple of days, but Jessica manages to get it all back together and in place.

“I don’t know if the kids can handle a dog,” Jessica says. “They get really rough at times, breaking almost everything.”

“They won’t break a dog,” Richard tells her. “They’ll know to be careful.”

“Are you sure?” Jessica asks. “Do they really know how to take care of a dog?”

“They can learn quickly,” Richard promises.

“Okay,” she says slowly. “But if the kids don’t take care of him like they should it’s falling on you, got it?”

Richard is excited to surprise the kids with a family dog. He’s confident that they’ll devote themselves to taking care of it like they should and not be too rough.

With Jessica’s permission, Richard brings home a little dog he found at the local shelter.

He doesn’t give the dog a name, he’ll leave that up to the kids.

But Richard is sure that the twins will love this little guy. Richard already feels a lot of love going both ways.

Grace and Tyler are excited when they come home from school to find the new member of the family.

They decide to name him Mr. Wiggles, because his whole body wiggles whenever he wags his tail.

Richard enjoys seeing his kids playing with Mr. Wiggles and how excited they are to teach him tricks. This is the perfect addition to their family.