A Story Called "How to Break Dianne's Heart"

Once upon a time there was a puppy.  A rather Big Puppy, named Lucie.  Lucie loved to lie on the couch in the sunroom.  She thought of it as Her Couch, but sometimes she let James or Dianne sit there with her.  One evening, Dianne sat on the couch with Lucie and watched TV.  Lucie chewed her toy for a little while, but then she got sleepy and stretched out her Big Body so that Dianne had to put her legs along the side of the couch to make room for them both.  Lucie slept for a long time.  She dreamt about chasing Rabbits.  Her eyelids twitched, her paws twitched, and she made little woofing sounds in her sleep.

Finally, the TV show was over and James turned off the TV.  That weird clicking sound always woke Lucie up.  She stretched and stepped off the couch.  With her long legs, she didn't have to jump down—she just put her front feet onto the floor and walked off.  Dianne got up, too, and went into her Other Room.  Lucie loved to go into the Other Room with Dianne!  There was a nice low bed there that Lucie liked to lie on.  She felt like a Queen on that bed.  And there was often a ball hidden under the bed that she had put there before so that she could put her Long Legs under the bed and try to get the ball and make Dianne laugh so that Dianne would get down on the floor and help her get the ball.

But on this night, Dianne said, "No, Lucie," and closed the door so that Lucie couldn't come in with her.  Lucie had a ball in her mouth, and there was another one right outside the door of the Other Room.  Two balls to play with, but Dianne wouldn't let her in the room.  James said, "Lucie, Dianne doesn't want you in there right now.  She's trying to do yoga and the last thing she needs is you nosing around!"  Yoga?  Yoga couldn't be better than Two Balls!  Lucie looked at the door.  She heard Dianne inside the Other Room.  Surely Dianne must want to play with Lucie—she had Two Balls.  Lucie dropped the ball from her mouth onto the floor.  She waited for Dianne to open the door and toss the ball so she could chase it.  She listened for Dianne to come to the door.  But Dianne didn't.  So Lucie picked up the ball and dropped it again.  Dianne still didn't open the door.  This time Lucie pushed the ball against the door.  It bounced back to her and she pushed it into the door again.  Dianne must hear her!  Why isn't Dianne opening the door so that Lucie can come into the Other Room and play with the ball on the bed and push it under the bed and put her Long Legs under the bed to try to get the ball so that Dianne will laugh and get down on the floor to help her get the ball?  "Lucie," said James.  "Stop bothering Dianne.  It's time for bed.  Come, Lucie—Come!"  Lucie finally dropped the ball and followed James to the sunroom. 

Meanwhile, Dianne's heart broke a little.