He passed the petting zoo.
Alex was holding a rabbit in each arm. He was talking to them.
“Hey, Alex,” he called.
CHAPTER 10
THAT night, Luke kept watching television. He hated to go up to his dark bedroom.
Mom looked at the clock. “It’s late.”
Benita had fallen asleep an hour ago. He had to go upstairs.
He carried the zebra box with him.
The box wasn’t Alex’s.
“Mine is filled with coins,” Alex had said this morning. “I have a list of things to buy for school.”
He said a lot more, but Luke couldn’t remember all of it.
Luke put the box next to him on the night table. It had to be Tori’s brother’s.
He looked at Alex’s handprint.
But something was underneath. Writing.
Why hadn’t he seen it before?
He turned the box one way, and then another.
Right side up.
Upside down.
There were loops and dashes. Something was underlined.
None of it made sense. It was too much to think about tonight.
He knelt up in bed. The light over the Baby Zoo House was friendly.
Dad was working there tonight.
Luke began to count. “Black spider monkeys, jaguars, rhinos, meerkats.”
And then it was morning again.
Benita was singing. “Poor dangerous giraffes…”
Luke grinned. “Not dangerous,” he called. “Endangered.”
“I know that,” Benita said. “I’m making up a song so people will help.”
Downstairs, Luke heard Dad come into the kitchen. “A quick breakfast,” he said. “I have to go back. Baby pumas were born last night.”
He ate quickly and went out the back door.
Luke hurried too. He couldn’t wait to see the pumas in the jungle they’d made.
Then he had to find Tori. He’d give her the box.
He headed for the Baby Zoo House. Dad waved through the window.
Footsteps came behind him.
He turned. Alex!
He nodded at Luke. “New babies!” he said. “Could I…”
“I guess so.” Luke opened the door.
Alex slid in behind him. They followed Dad down the hall and looked through a window.
“Neat jungle.” Alex leaned close to the glass. “Someday I want to go on a safari…”
“Luke did most of it,” Dad said.
Alex grinned at him. “Not bad!”
A great feeling filled Luke’s chest.
“Where’s the puma mom?” Luke asked. “And I don’t see her cubs.”
Alex grabbed Luke’s elbow and pointed.
Ah. There was a spotted coat, blue eyes almost open.
He looked at Alex. “Neat,” they said together.
They went back down the hall with Dad.
Luke bumped into the closed door. “What’s in there, anyway?”
Dad smiled. “I’ll open it when it’s time.”
Luke raised his shoulders.
So did Alex.
“See you,” Luke told him.
It was time to find Tori.
CHAPTER 11
TORI was in her backyard. She was leaning over a picnic table reading. “There’s a story about a jaguar. I think I heard it in school. She came out of the jungle to play with kids.”
Even Abuelo probably didn’t know that, Luke thought.
He waved the box. “It must be your brother’s.”
“He’s in the house.” Tori cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hey, Ken.”
Ken banged open the screen door.
“I’m right in the middle of something.”
Luke held out the zebra box.
“Mine’s inside, thanks.” Ken nodded at him and went inside.
Luke sank down at the table. He rested the box in front of him.
Tori pulled it toward her. “Can I look inside?”
“Sure. It’s not mine.”
She held everything up. Then she closed the box again.
She turned it on its side. “Hey, what’s this? An L?
“Here’s more.” She squinted. “A handprint. It’s hard to see.”
Luke leaned forward.
“Wait,” she said. “I think it says, ‘See Dad.’ ”
Luke closed his eyes.
Had Dad left the box for him? Could that be?
It felt right.
It felt terrific.
He thought of the green collar.
It might be something that needed to be walked.
He couldn’t wait to find out.
CHAPTER 12
LUKE rushed back to the zoo. He held the box in his hand.
“You found it.” Dad smiled. “A perfect time. The door is ready to open. The babies are set to go.”
Luke looked down the hall.
“Go ahead,” Dad said.
Luke opened the door. A scruffy dog wagged her tail.
Two puppies rolled over next to her. One of them looked at him.
How small he was.
Luke sat on the floor. The puppy climbed on his lap.
This dog was his.
It had to be!
Dad was nodding. “One for you, one for Benita, and one for Mom and me.”
The zoo door opened. Luke looked down the hall. It was Nana-Next-Door.
“Ah, Luke,” she said. “You’ve seen the new pups. A neat surprise.”
She reached in to touch the mother dog. “Perfect pets.”
She winked at him. “Much better than zoo animals like tigers. They might eat you for dinner.”
She tilted her head. “You wouldn’t even be enough for a meal. They can eat eighty-eight pounds at once.
Luke heard a crunch. His puppy was chewing on a tiny biscuit.
“That’s just right for him,” Nana said.
She waved goodbye and went down the hall.
Luke and Dad followed. Luke carried the puppy box home; Dad walked with the mother.
He grinned at Luke. “We’ll have our own little zoo.”
Mom was waiting for them. She was making ice cream sundaes.
“A celebration,” she said. “For our new four.”
Luke held up three fingers. “The mom and two pups.”
Mom and Dad looked at each other.
“The giraffes are coming this week,” Dad said. “And two Bengal tigers. We need an expert to help us with them.”
Mom held up four fingers. “Three dogs and…”
“An expert,” Dad added.
Luke felt his heart beating fast. Did he know who the expert was?
Dad was nodding.
Was it possible?
“Abuelo?”
“Of course,” Mom said. “He’ll teach us all so many things.”
Benita began to sing. “My brother has tears in his eyes…”
Luke could hardly talk. He scooped up his puppy. He went upstairs.
Benita and Mom went with him.
Mom stopped at the empty bedroom.
A light was on. “It won’t be empty anymore,” she said. “So I’ve painted the walls.”
“Pale green,” Luke said. “Abuelo’s favorite color.”
Pictures were taped to the wall: giraffes, tigers, and Abuelo standing with Luke and Benita.
“Abuelo was lonesome without us,” Mom said. “And we were lonesome for him.”
Luke was having trouble talking
