The first time I looked at her I knew that I hated her. Her unshaved patches and mud brown eyes made me feel like there was a sewer living inside my stomach. She was an ugly dog.
I remember the conversation I had with my mother that day. I wanted to get rid of that dog so badly, because she did not meet my standards.
I remember my mother’s response to my constant plea, and how boldly she said it. “Lily Brooke, if we do not take this dog she will go back to the pound and die. We are keeping her.” My mother… thinks she is superwoman. She thinks that saving this nasty dog was part of her purpose of being on Earth. So my ten year old self dealt with the fact that I would never get the dalmatian that I wanted and would have to deal with this mangy mutt. My mother named the dog Destiny, because she believed that it was truly “our destiny” to have found her. Yeesh.
The first few weeks of having Destiny felt like years. On the bright summer days that I would prefer to be tanning I would be sitting with the dog, shoving a red plush toy into her mouth. I would daydream of my perfect dog, that I would have named Spot. He would have black ears, white fur, and a spotted tail. He would always be happy and love me unconditionally.
When I looked up at the sky I could see Spot and I running around the shoreline of a beach, the water splashing onto our toes. I could never do this with Destiny… her legs are too stubby…She is not Spot.  The only thing that I could bring myself to look at on that disgusting dog was her shaggy tail, that would wave back and forth whenever I came near her.

All of these feelings changed during a massive thunderstorm.  Loud and vibrant thunder, with flashes of bold lightning. The once light blue skying opening up into deep shades of violet and black. Our only source of light coming from the crackles of lightning.  The rain was splattering down on our flat’s roof, making the whole house shimmer and shake. It was a tremendous storm.
I remember Destiny crawling into my room, shaking from head to toe. She whimpered with so much force and and uncertainty that I had to lay down next to her. Petting her patchy fur I suddenly realized how beautiful she was. Her mud brown eyes suddenly turned into milk chocolate, luscious and delicious.  Her patches were smooth and silky, not rough and course. I was starting to fall in love with her, and Destiny could sense that.

From then on you could say my life was a candy factory. Sweet and savory, with masses of colors and feelings I had never had before. I finally had a companion, someone who was there for me when words were not--a companion that I could walk with for hours and hours and never come across a dead end. She was my best friend, and it seemed like nothing could ever change that.
I remember letting her go. Watching her kind eyes glaze over into nothingness. I remember how her tail wagged and suddenly dropped with a bang. I remember the room going silent and the warm tears that caressed down my face.
I remember my last words to Destiny--words that I will never forget. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. For letting me see candy where there was vegetables. For turning dead words into poetry. You are truly my Destiny, and I will never forget you.”