“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,” hearing the sound of multiple fireworks blowing up on the streets of Annapolis. Meeting up with our cousins, Cole, Quinn and Kylie and their mom and dad, who live in North Carolina. Everyone trying to catch a glance of the red, white and blue fireworks fly into the sky. My mom and dad and my aunt and uncle trying to keep up with us. As we start to juke people out, cutting corners and stopping at road crossing.

“Wow,” Cole said as he saw the explosion of fireworks gliding in the sky and eventually disappearing in the night sky.

Soon after the fireworks ended and the night was winding down, close to midnight. Checking into our hotel, pressing the floor number 5. Making it in time to turn the TV on and watch the ball drop.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year,” our whole family yelled so the neighbors started to complain to the front desk.

“Beep, Beep,” the sound of the hotel phone ring in the early crack of dawn, reminding us we have to get up. Packing up all the bags, we brought loading them into our Ford Expedition. Six out of six people in the car and ready to head back to CT.

“Everybody get up,” my mom yelling from the bottom of the stairs with hardwood floor surrounding her. Nobody getting up and eventually my dad stomping up the stairs pulling the covers off of me and waking me up pushing me back and forth and occasional punches to the arm.

“We are leaving in 10 minutes,” my dad reminded us about the trip we are taking to meet up with our cousins. Knowing that we weren’t going their just to meet up with our cousins, a surprise that my parents had been planning for along time.

Pulling out of the hotel parking lot making our way “home” from Annapolis. Waking up and remembering what I did to know that we weren’t heading home quite just yet. We have been only driving for 2 hours and it felt like two years holding the secret inside me.

“Honey, isn’t this your cousins exit?” my dad asked my mom.

“Yes, I think it is.” my mom responding.

They both are bad at acting when it comes to surprises. Taking a sharp right turn, exiting the highway and stopping at the red stop light in front of us.

It’s been about 30 minutes and we are in the middle of nowhere, trees all around us and seeing small houses that rarely are here in this area. Finally, taking a right turn into this driveway that is my mom’s “cousin’s” house.

Ahead of us, was a concrete, narrow bridge that can only fit small cars. The only thing bad was we had a Ford Expedition, a big SUV.

“We won’t be able to fit on the bridge,” my mom said to my dad who was driving. So, everybody piled out of the car and walked up the long, pebbly driveway. Seeing signs on the trees that are about Old English Sheep Dogs. Knowing that we were getting a new dog.

“Woof, Woof, Woof,” I heard in the distance.  

“Why does your cousin have so many dogs?” my sister Libby asked.

“I don’t know,” my mom responded.

So, we kept walking up the driveway and eventually made it to the house. I saw white paint on the house chipping off and some parts the paint turned brown. Overgrown weeds and vines crawling up the side of the house. We made it up to the porch and the wood was falling apart. On the porch, there was a rocking chair with a missing leg with food bowls and water bowls on the porch. Seeing a gated fence where I heard all the barks coming from.

“Knock, Knock, Knock,” as my dad knocked on the front door.

The door slid open and a oldish lady welcomed us in.

“Nice to see you again,” my mom said to her “cousin”.

There was multiple dogs, some in crates, puppies in the kitchen running around and sliding on the slippery floor. The lady then walked into the kitchen, looking like she was trying to find a dog. Finally, she picked up a dog and walked back out to us.

“Here’s your new dog,” the lady said.

I was trying to looked surprised but, I couldn’t. My sisters were screaming and I was holding my ears because they were so loud.

“Thank you,” we said to the lady as we left the house.

We hiked down the long driveway till we arrived at the car that was parked before the bridge. We dove into the car and I was the first one to hold him. He was fluffy, soft, and small.

“Are we going home now?” I asked my parents.

“Yes,” my parents both said.

“What is his name?” my sister asked.

“Finley,” my parents said again.

It was a six hour drive home. When we finally arrived we had a bed for Finley, we fed him, gave him water, and played with him.

It has been about 5 months since we got Finley and I didn’t tell anybody about what I did. I had to tell somebody. So, I told my mom and dad about what I did and they said it was ok but don’t do it again.

From that day forward, I never ruined a surprise again.