I stirred awake in Glacier and Elsa's room, my ears twitching as I adjusted to the soft morning light filtering through the window. The familiar scent of the Baker household surrounded me—warm fabric softener, traces of breakfast drifting up from downstairs, and the comforting presence of my humans. I stretched my front legs and let out a big yawn before padding over to the water bowl David had left for me. The cool water soothed my parched throat as I drank greedily. Wow, I must have been more worried than I thought.

Before I could dwell on it too much, a pair of small arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Hey, girl!" Lilly greeted, her voice warm with affection.

I wagged my tail, pressing into her hug. Lilly was always gentle, her strawberry-blond hair tickling my ears as she snuggled close. Her dark blue eyes—so much like her sisters'—studied me with a soft concern.

"Is Elsa up yet?" she asked, pulling away slightly to glance toward the bunk bed.

I followed her gaze. My favorite human, Elsa, was still curled up under her blankets, her golden hair spilling over the pillow. I whined softly. She had been so stressed that she'd slipped into one of those deep, coma-like sleeps. Apparently, this had happened before.

I knew Elsa was an orphan, even though Diana was her mother. Something about legal papers, about signing Elsa away to an orphanage. It had taken her three different homes before she finally landed here, with Glacier and the Bakers. In a way, I understood. I'd lost my mother when I was just a puppy. I knew what it was like to feel lost, to long for something familiar.

Poor Elsa. Poor Raven, too.

I hoped Shelby was taking care of the other girls while I was here. I missed her. I wanted to talk to her, but how?

Lilly gently scratched behind my ears, bringing me back to the moment.

"Heard you lost your mommy when you were a puppy, girl," she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness. "I'm sorry. That must've been really hard."

I licked her hand softly. You don't know the half of it.

A quiet voice broke the stillness.

"Lilly?"

Lilly and I both looked up. Elsa was stirring, her blue eyes blinking open. I felt a rush of relief and excitement and immediately sat up, my tail thumping against the floor.

"How do you feel?" Lilly asked, stepping closer. "You look better. When Dad brought you back, you looked like a ghost."

Elsa let out a small giggle, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, Lilly! You are so like your sister."

Lilly tilted her head. "Which one? Alaska or Glacier?"

"Both," Elsa said with a sleepy smile before her gaze landed on me. "Hey, Button, girl! I see you came home with me."

I let out a happy whimper, my tail wagging so hard my whole body wiggled with it. Yes, yes, yes!

Lilly glanced at Elsa with concern. "Do you feel okay to climb down? Looks like Button wants a cuddle. She wants to make sure you're okay."

I barked excitedly and spun in a quick circle, careful not to knock anything over. The two girls laughed, but I wasn't just being silly—I needed to be sure Elsa was really okay.

I noticed something on the floor and gently picked it up—Elsa's glasses. Carrying them carefully in my mouth, I let out a soft whimper.

"I'm coming, girl!" Elsa said as she carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bunk.

Lilly hurried forward, steadying her as she made her way down the ladder. Elsa stumbled slightly, but Lilly kept a firm hold on her until she was safely on the floor.

Then Elsa turned to me, and I immediately sat, offering her glasses.

"Thank you, Button!" Elsa giggled, sliding them onto her face. "Now I can see better."

She sighed, then glanced at Lilly thoughtfully.

"Do you ever wish that Glacier could see?"

Lilly frowned, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her pajama shirt.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "I do feel bad for her. We can see things that she can't. But..." She hesitated before continuing, "If she didn't have cancer, she wouldn't have met Belle, or you, or Raven, or Sheherazade. Well... maybe Sheherazade and Luna. But the rest of you? Probably not."

Elsa nodded. "That's true. But at school, when we're doing things, I always feel bad that sometimes Glacier doesn't know what's happening."

"She's strong, though," Lilly said with certainty. "But... I talked to her that night. She was in tears."

Elsa's expression softened. "Bless her," she murmured, reaching out to scratch behind my ears. "I guess you got the two girls to come back, right, Button?"

I barked twice in response.

Elsa smiled and wrapped her arms around me.

"Good girl," she whispered against my fur. "Very good girl."

I closed my eyes, soaking in her warmth. Those words filled me with a sense of pride and love. This was my family. No matter what happened, I would always be here for them.

Always.

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A/N:

Here is chapter 8 of Button's story. How do you like the book so far?

Sorry I haven't properly updated this book or Finding Myself the one about Elisabeth. But I do have two accounts to run.

For now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Wolfie out!