“Sure, of course.” Hailee crouched down with Tootsie, just to be sure that he was okay. His skin trembled a little, but a quick brush from Hailee’s hand made him calm down. “He’s a shelter dog,” Hailee explained, “but he’s good natured. It’s okay to pet him but give him your hand first.”
Anissa walked slowly and held out her hand. Tootsie licked her right away. She laughed and then patted his back where Hailee showed her. Tootsie rolled over almost right away, presenting his tummy for rubs. “Can I?” Anissa asked.
“Oh yeah. He’s a friendly boy today.”
“What’s his name?”
Hailee bit her lip. “Tootsie.”
“Like the movie with Dustin Hoffman?” Rae said. “I didn’t think anyone under forty had seen that.”
“Under thirty, thank you,” Hailee said. “But no, he was named Tootsie because he sort of
