Cohete’s family was active and friendly
Always on the go, they made friends/amigos wherever they went and were often visited by family and friends. Cohete enjoyed meeting new people and teaching them how to accommodate him: how to walk with him at his pace, where to find his treats, and most importantly – how to get ice from the door of the fridge and hold it in hand for him, just the way he likes it.
There were many visitors to their home and lots of good times. The Boy’s friends who lived in the courtyard came by almost daily, as well as other guests. There were the friends of Mommy and Daddy, the parents of the Boy’s friends, and there were relatives. Cohete especially loved the family times when the Boy’s cousins/primos came and they all got down on the floor to play;
he liked how the older relatives gathered to eat and drink, and someone would always slip him a taste of something special under the table. Grandma and Grandpa often visited, and he liked having their company – they were comfortable in the family room, and he would often sit there among them.
Thanksgiving was really special. That was when Mommy and Daddy hosted family and friends, and Mommy prepared a great feast. Everyone pitched in to help, even Cohete.
Usually, there were other guests who traveled from a different state. They were picked up at the airport and lived in the guest room for a while. These were the other grandparents – los abuelos: Papa, the photographer, and Memma.
Papa was ok, but Memma and Cohete . . . well, let’s just say they clashed.
She was kind enough, but she made unreasonable demands on him. She insisted on calling him Cohete – which is Rocket en español – instead of his real name, Rocket. And when she took him on walks, she insisted that she was in charge. Everyone else understood that Cohete on a leash meant that Cohete was to lead the way.
Not Memma. She demanded that he follow her lead. This, of course, led to the famous showdown on the corner of Washington and Waugh Streets. He had to shamefully admit that he had lost that battle. She was tenacious – way worse that his old nemesis, Ginger!
Although she was exasperating, there was another side of Memma. She was funny and she noticed things – like Cohete’s need for ice cubes from the hand and that he also liked to have them in his water bowl, so she kept it filled for him. She even remarked about the family’s portraits, noting the omission. She walked Cohete to his favorite place, Natural Paws Store, and shopped there with him for his favorite treats. 
After she left to fly back to her home, he heard Mommy talking with her on a phone call – something about taking pictures of him, of Cohete. What is this about, he wondered.
He soon found out.
A present arrived in the mail, and Mommy and Daddy opened it to find – a hand-drawn PORTRAIT OF COHETE! It had been created from several photos Mommy sent to Memma and from several studies of Cohete by an artist, Ruben Garcia.
Mommy, Daddy, and the Boy were delighted. Cohete was thrilled to see himself in a starring role, but something else made him even happier.
Mommy framed his portrait and placed it in their special space – the office where they work together.
