Kyle was sitting in his wheelchair. He knew that the knock on the door would change everything and he waited patiently.

It had been seven months since his accident and the terrible news that he wouldn’t walk again. Kyle’s family was great.  It wasn’t their fault that he felt so lonely sometimes. When his sister ran across the lawn after a butterfly or his brother came home from a softball game, he felt left out, even though he was happy for them.  He was on the sidelines now.

The knock came softly and Kyle caught his breath. His dad appeared in the doorway.

 “I have someone for you to meet. Kyle, this is Smokey.”

The beautiful brown-eyed therapy dog came in and looked into Kyle’s eyes. Kyle’s nervous smile relaxed into a wide grin.

“Hey, Smokey. Welcome!”