It was a cool Saturday morning, and we were eagerly waiting for his arrival. The intercom buzzed, and our hearts skipped a beat. Luigi dashed to answer it.
"He's here! He's here! Come on, Mom!" he shouted, waving excitedly toward the door.
We rushed down the stairs. From a distance, we spotted the same man who had brought Pamps to us months earlier. He was standing at the entrance to the condominium, patiently waiting. He held a small pet carrier firmly in one hand while checking messages on his phone with the other.
We walked over to greet him.
He opened the little carrier door. I peeked inside and caught sight of two frightened little eyes. Without a word, he carefully lifted the tiny puppy out and placed him in my hands.
"My goodness, he's so tiny! Will he make it?" I asked in amazement. He fit entirely in the palm of my hand.
"Yes," he replied calmly.
He was beautiful.
I handed him to Luigi, whose face lit up instantly. His eyes sparkled with happiness.
"Our family is finally complete," he whispered as he lifted the puppy high above his head.
The man gave us a few instructions before heading off.
We returned home, carrying him as carefully as we could.
"Pamps, this is your new little friend!" Luigi said, kneeling to place him gently on the floor.
"Woof! Woof! Grrr! Woof! Woof!" Pamps barked jealously.
Fearless, the little puppy trotted straight over to her, eager to play, and greeted her with a tiny lick.
"Luigi, what are we going to name him?"
"Jimmy!"
"No, that's too awkward to call out. What about Roni?"
"No! Max? Rex?"
"None of those," I said, thinking.
"Tobi! He looks like a Tobi!" Luigi exclaimed.
"Yes! That's a beautiful name. It suits him perfectly."
His fur was soft and fluffy as cotton, and his tiny curled tail was almost impossible to see. He ran and bounced around like a little lamb, always ready to play.
Little by little, he and Pamps became friends.
Tobi was incredibly affectionate. Whenever someone picked him up, he'd gently rest his tiny paws against their face, and his little kisses and playful nibbles on our ears never failed to make us laugh.
Those two little dogs filled our home with even more joy.
One Saturday morning, as Tobi crossed the living room, I suddenly saw, in my mind's eye, a shadowy figure moving alongside him.
Troubled, I sat down on the floor, settled him across my lap, and began reciting Psalm 91.
I could feel nothing but overwhelming fury radiating from whatever it was.
"Tobi came from the kennel with an evil entity attached to him," I thought indignantly, and I prayed for him.
That night, as I was changing into my pajamas, I had a vision.
Tobi's muzzle was covered in blood.
Pamps had bitten him.
Uneasy, I decided to be cautious. Pamps slept in my bedroom, while Tobi stayed out on the balcony.
Before going to bed, I prayed for all of us.
The following evening, Luigi and I were playing cards on my bed.
We laughed nonstop, but it was getting late.
"Luigi, after this round, it's bedtime," I said.
"Okay..." he replied sleepily.
We finished the game.
"I won!" Luigi shouted, throwing both arms into the air. "You lost! I won!"
"I'm glad you won, Luigi. Now off to bed. Go to your room—we'll play again tomorrow," I said, exhausted.
"Did you have fun?"
"I did. I loved it. It was fun. We'll play again tomorrow."
As Luigi got off the bed, the expression on his face suddenly darkened.
"Mom... I just saw Tobi with blood all over his face. Pamps did it. Are you really going to let them sleep together? I wouldn't..." he said, frightened.
"All right... they'll sleep separately again," I replied, stunned that Luigi had seen the very same vision.
We went to his room.
I lay down on the mattress beside his bed, and the two of us prayed hand in hand.
That night, I dreamed.
I sprayed insecticide on a cockroach, and it fell from the wall.
Suddenly, Tobi ran in front of it, and the spray hit him square in the face.
I dropped to my knees and wrapped him in my arms. My clothes were soaked with insecticide too.
"I'm going to kill that cockroach," I thought furiously.
Dazed, it staggered along the edge of the wall.
I woke up thinking,
"That little puppy still hasn't been set free."
A few days passed.
It was another Saturday morning, and as usual, after breakfast I turned on my computer to work.
My phone rang.
"Hi, Auntie! I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too! I was beginning to think Helena had forgotten all about me!"
"Oh, Auntie, never!"
"I've got some news..." she said quietly, laughing.
"What happened?" I asked, curious.
"I met the most wonderful Asian girl! I'm keeping my voice down because my dad's here. He just went to the bathroom, so I took the chance to call you," she said happily.
"And what's she like?"
"She's beautiful, she's smart, and she's into all the same things I am. We think so much alike!"
"That's well. So... have you two kissed yet?"
"Yes!" she said. "It was amazing, Auntie."
"If the kiss is good, there's a good chance things will go somewhere."
Suddenly, the dream came back to me—Tobi, his face drenched in insecticide.
"We were out with some friends at a club, and afterward we decided to take a walk through the park so we could talk without anyone else around. We sat down on a bench, started leaning closer to each other... and it just happened. We kissed! Seriously, Auntie, she kissed me like it was the last kiss she'd ever give. It was unbelievable," she said.
"And then?"
"It was really late, so we went back to my house..."
"And?" I asked, my curiosity growing.
"We went to my room..." she said with a laugh.
"And then?"
"We talked, held hands, and fell asleep cuddling. Nothing else happened, Auntie! She'd never done anything like that before, and neither had I. The next morning we had breakfast together, and then she went home."
"Do you want to see her again?"
"Absolutely. She gives the best kisses."
"Have you made plans to meet again?"
"We're still figuring that out."
Once again, the dream flashed through my mind—Tobi with his face soaked in insecticide.
What could that little puppy be doing? I wondered uneasily.
I got up from my chair and walked out onto the balcony.
What I saw made my heart stop.
Tobi had chewed through the safety net and already had half his body hanging over the edge of the balcony.
I lunged toward him in panic and grabbed him.
"Auntie, I'm going to hang up. I'm exhausted—I need to get some sleep."
"Helena, you won't believe what just happened," I said, still breathless.
"What is it, Auntie?"
"While we were talking, Tobi chewed through the safety net!"
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"He was seconds away from falling when I grabbed him. Another minute, and I would've lost him," I said, still shaken.
"Why would he do that? That's so strange!"
"I don't know," I replied, devastated. "It happened so fast."
"Cover the hole with something. Auntie, I really have to go now."
"Good idea. I love you, sweetheart. Bye."
"Love you too, Auntie. Bye."
He ruined the net, I thought angrily as I tied the torn mesh back together with some string.
I was sitting on the floor when Tobi walked over and gently licked my knee.
He was so tiny...
My anger melted away.
I wrapped my arms around him, closed my eyes, and cried.
I had come so close to losing him.
"God, thank You for the warning dream. Thank You for saving Tobi," I whispered.
My tears soaked his little face and my own clothes.
The following Saturday, Lívia came to visit.
I told her everything that had happened.
She picked Tobi up, and we sat down on the couch.
Together, we prayed Psalm 91.
Suddenly, Tobi began twisting and writhing.
"There's an evil entity here," she warned, shivering. "It wants Tobi dead."
"It's furious."
Tobi remained restless.
We prayed again.
"Let this life go now, in the name of Jesus!" she rebuked with authority. Then she continued, "Jesus, send Your angels to watch over Tobi. Amen."
Almost immediately, he calmed down.
His eyes slowly closed, and he drifted into a sleepy stillness.
"How could something so evil attach itself to such a sweet little dog? That entity wanted to take his life," I said, horrified.
"That's how evil works. They knew you'd be heartbroken if anything happened to him."
"He chewed through the safety net while I was on the phone. It was as if something were calling him."
"The angels are showing me that the entity took on your appearance and called to him using your voice. It floated outside the balcony, waving for him to come. That's why he chewed through the net so quickly. He thought he was coming to you," she explained.
"That's horrifying! People say animals can see spirits. So it's true?"
"Some of them can. Tobi has that gift. You need to stay vigilant, my sister," she warned.
"Remember when we prayed over Pamps after she arrived? She was carrying a heavy burden of envy. I think they both came from the kennel like that."
"The angels are showing me that neighbors, some employees, and even members of the kennel owner's own family envy her. Some of them wish her harm. They wonder how she can make so much money selling such beautiful puppies. Meanwhile, she can't understand why her business never truly prospers—it's as if the money slips through her fingers. That envy weighs on her as well, and part of that negative burden attaches itself to the animals," she explained.
"That's it! Mystery solved."
"The angels say you should keep praying over the puppies, Ana. It's important to pray for animals too—rebuking every evil influence and asking God to protect them."
"That's beautiful, sister. Shall we continue this conversation over some coffee?"
"You read my mind! I'm starting to get hungry," she replied with a cheerful smile.
We spent a wonderful afternoon together, sharing coffee, cake, and conversation.
Thank You, angels, for Your guidance.