"She needed a home," Tara said as she finally looked up at him. "The aide said that they were hard to adopt out, and... I just- We're looking to buy a house anyway, right?" She knew she should have talked to him first, she knew it, but that didn't change the fact that she'd just... wanted to bring her home, so she did.

"And she's young enough that she wouldn't have learned any bad behavior, she's just... a puppy." She looked back down at Thomas, the wrinkle between her eyebrows smoothing as she bent close, her chin almost on their son's shoulder as she guided his hand to pet her even as the puppy toddled around, barking sharply once as she looked up at Jax with bright blue eyes.

"Us puppy," she said to Abel, and she moved to kneel on the floor. "I'll show you how to pet her, okay? You have to be gentle, Abel. Alright?" She looked up at Jax again, and finally said quietly, "You want to meet her?" Please,, she wanted to say, Please just be okay with this.