"Aww, mom!" little Strawberry exclaimed. "I'm just going to the park. It's not a fancy dinner or anything."
Mandy sighed and smiled as she licked her puppy. "I still want you to look nice, wherever you go."
The squirmy border collie wriggled out of her mother's reach. "Do I look nice enough now?" she asked, annoyed with her mother for giving her a bath.
Mandy pursed her lips and looked her daughter up and down while Strawberry rolled her eyes. "Well, I suppose so...Oh wait!" Her daughter sat down again, muttering mutinously. "I think I missed a spot!" She stepped up to the annoyed puppy and poked her tummy. "It's right there. I'd better smooth that down for you. Here we go..." Strawberry broke out into joyful giggles as her mother tickled her until she couldn't laugh anymore.
The laughter ceased, and Mandy was glad to see a smile lingering on her daughter's face. "Bye, mom!" Strawberry yelled, running down the street to meet her friends.
Her mother watched her run, smiling sadly to herself. "Don't leave me..."








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