When my fiancé Robert proposed, I thought my dream of starting a family would finally come true.
I had been in love with him for more than two years, and his eight-year-old daughter, Hailey, had lost her mother in a car accident three years prior.
Hailey and I had a great relationship at first. She would spend hours playing with Bo, my beloved German Shepherd, and sometimes draw pictures of the three of us together.
But it all changed when Robert revealed our engagement.
Hailey’s smiles were less frequent, her chatter turned to silence, and she avoided me at all costs. At first, it was minor things like avoiding me at supper or focusing her gaze on her coloring book whenever I tried to speak to her.
I was wrong.
“Your dog scared me! He growled and tried to bite me!” Hailey’s words sliced through the living room like a dagger one evening.
I spoke softly, crouching down to meet her gaze. “You’ve been friends with Bo for over a year. He’s never hurt anyone before. Are you sure he growled at you?”
“That was before!” she shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I’m scared of him. Take him away. Please!”
I wanted to argue and defend Bo, but the lump in my throat made this difficult.
That night, I hardly slept. Robert sat alongside me, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what to do,” he finally said.
“She’s scared, Ivana,” Robert said. “As her dad, I have to take her feelings seriously.”
My voice cracked, despite my best efforts to remain cool. “Bo is family too. He’s been with me through everything — my parent’s di:vor:ce, moving cities, meeting you…” I choked back a sob. “He was there when I thought I’d never find love again.”
“I know how much Bo means to you. But if it’s for our daughter’s happiness, we must be ready to do anything.”
I hugged the pillow and cried, tears pouring into the smooth fabric.
By morning, I had made the most difficult decision of my life. “I’ll take Bo to the shelter,” I informed Robert.
Bo sat quietly in the passenger seat, his large brown eyes filled with confidence as I clutched the steering wheel. Tears ran down my cheeks, blinding my eyesight. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, reaching over to scratch his head. “You’ve been the best friend anyone could ask for, and I’m bet:ray:ing you.”
Bo moaned gently and pressed his nose against my hand.
Just as I was about to start the engine, Robert ran down the driveway, flailing his arms. “WAIT!” he shouted. “IVANA, DON’T…”
I rolled the window down, my heart thumping. “What’s wrong?”
“I SAW THE FOOTAGE!” he exclaimed, yanking open the car door.
“What footage?” I asked, confused.
“Come back inside. You need to see this.”
Robert escorted me to his laptop, where he displayed footage from our front entrance camera. The video showed Hailey sitting on the porch with Bo, rubbing his ears like normal. Then her voice appeared on the audio:
“I’LL TELL THEM YOU BARKED AT ME! AND SHE’LL TAKE YOU AND LEAVE ME AND MY DADDY! I’M SORRY, BO. I LOVE YOU. BUT I HAVE TO DO THIS.”
“She lied,” I muttered, the realization striking like a fist. My legs gave weak, and I collapsed into the chair. “I almost gave him up because of a lie.”
“How could she do this?” I asked, my voice breaking. “I thought we were making progress. I thought…”
“We need to help her understand the consequences of her actions.”
That evening, we seated Hailey in the living room.
She fidgeted on the couch, avoiding our gaze.
“Hailey,” Robert began gently, “we know what happened with Bo. We saw the video.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I thought if Bo went away, you’d go away too,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I thought you were going to take my daddy away from me!”
I said gently, moving closer, “I’m not trying to replace your mom. I know how special she was… and how special she still is. I just want to add my love to all the love you already have. Is that okay?”
I leaned closer, my voice breaking. “Hailey, I love your dad. And I care about you, too. You’ll always be his daughter, no matter what.”
The following day, Robert and I decided to teach Hailey a valuable lesson. WE WENT TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER TOGETHER, not to abandon Bo, but to teach her what life is like for homeless creatures.
We spent the afternoon VOLUNTEERING AT THE SHELTER, feeding and playing with the animals. By the time we left, Hailey appeared lighter and more contemplative.
When we got home, she raced to Bo and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her tears dampening his fur.
That moment seemed like the start of something fresh. Hailey’s jealousy and dread did not evaporate instantly, but she gradually began to trust me again.
