to know that her daughter and her mother-in-law were right now wandering the streets of New York alone, so late in the afternoon, right before dusk. Their family was in town because Lola’s father had a special business meeting to attend to. But, since they had never been to New York, he decided to bring the whole family, including his happy-hearted mother who hadn’t visited the city in so long. He allowed her to come with the family as she so desired. They were staying in a fairly nice hotel for the week. It was good for them since it allowed pets, as they couldn’t find anyone who could take care of their dog, Blaze. By now, it was getting close to dinner time, and Lola’s mother was beginning to wonder where her loved ones were.

Just then, the door of the suite swung open as the expected arrivals came in. “We’re back!” Grandma Rosie called.

“Ugh! Finally,” Lola’s mother said to herself, and she came to the door to greet them. “There you guys are!” she said with a smile. “I was beginning to get worried.”

“Oh darling, you worry too much,” Grandma Rosie replied. ”We’re just fine.”

“Hi, Mommy!” Lola said, rushing in behind her grandmother, pulling Blaze by the leash.

“Hi sweetheart,” Lola’s mom said as she gave her daughter a kiss. “Did you have a good time with Grandma Rosie, today?”

“Oh, yeah! We had a great time. Grandma took me to Central Park to see a memuh....mema...mem...a statue, and she told me a great story about a sled dog, who-”

“That’s nice dear,” she interrupted. “Why don’t you tell us about it over dinner? It’s getting late.”

“Okay,” Lola said, willingly.

“All right, go wash up, now.”

...

“Mmm...Vis food ifs dewlicious,” Lola’s dad said with a mouthful.

“I know,” his wife replied. “You picked a great restaurant, honey.”

“Well, this certainly has been quite the trip,” he commented. “So Lola, what were you saying before about what you and Grandma did, earlier?”

“Oh, it was great!” Lola said happily. “She told me a story about a really brave sled dog named Balto, who saved a whole lot of little children from a disease by bringing medicine into their town.”

“Ah, so Grandma told you about her days in Alaska, eh?” he replied.

“Yeah, she did. And she showed me a statue that they built of him in Central Park.”

“That’s nice, dear,” her mother said.

Grandma Rosie then spoke up. “So, did you tell them about you and Blaze?”

“Me and Blaze wanna be on a sled team!” Lola replied.

Her parents chuckled happily. “Wow, that's great,” her mother said.

“Yeah, we’re gonna be the best team ever!” Lola added. “We’re gonna be so fast, we’re gonna win lots of races, and we’re gonna come crashing through the snow, like this!” She made whooshing noises as she moved her fork along the table, pretending it was a sled.

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” her mom said with a smile. “Speaking of Blaze, hurry up and finish your dinner. We better get back to the hotel soon. Hope he’s not causing any trouble.”

...

Later on that evening, Grandma Rosie and Lola were sitting in the other room of the hotel suite that they had been sharing. Lola was getting ready for bed and Blaze was already asleep in the corner. “I’m glad you had such a good time today, sweetie,” Grandma Rosie said.

“Me too,” said Lola. “Thanks for telling me that great story, Grandma!”

“Well, I’m happy you liked it, dear.”

“Yeah, Balto sounded like a really great dog,” she said. “But, well...there’s still something I’ve been wondering about all day.”

“What’s that sweetheart?”

Lola answered with a questioning tone in her voice. “What exactly happened to Balto after he saved the town? Did everybody treat him good after that? Did he and Jenna get together? And did he become a sled dog like he wanted? And, what happened to Steele?”

“Well darling, do you really think everything was like it was before Balto saved the town?”

“No! I think everything changed.”

“Of course dear, everything changes. And it’s always for a good reason.” She found herself drifting a bit off subject. “Sometimes we may not like change, but...well, it’s just a part of life.”

Lola was unsure about what her Grandmother was trying to say. “Is there more to the story, Grandma?”

“Of course, deary. There’s plenty more to be told...and plenty more to be learned.”

“I wanna hear it! Will you tell it to me, Grandma?”

“Oh, I don’t see why not,” she replied.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Lola’s mother entered wearing her bath robe. “What are you two doing still up?” she asked with a bit of humor in her voice. “I thought I told you I wanted Rosie in bed, now. It’s getting late”

“Can I please just stay up a little while longer, Momma?” Lola pleaded. “She was just about to tell me the rest of the story!”

“Don’t worry,” Grandma Rosie added. “I’ll make sure she gets her beauty rest. We just want to have a little more time together before we go to bed."

“Well,” Lola’s mother replied hesitantly, “I guess it’s all right. But, don’t stay up too late now. I’m going to bed.”

“All right dear.”

“Good night, Momma,” Lola said to her.

“Good night, honey.”

After she left the room, Lola turned her attention right back to her Grandmother. “So?” she said excitedly. “Tell me the rest of the story, Grandma!”

Grandma Rosie chuckled at her granddaughter’s eagerness. “All right, sweetheart...”