Audrey Burst in the front door

of her grandma's house.

"Grandma! Grandma!

I'm here!" she shouted.

Grandma Dee met Audrey in the kitchen.

"How's my girl?" she asked

"Mama said it would be a miracle if she and daddy made it to the wedding on time."

Grandma Dee's eyes twinkled. "Did she now?"

"Yep!" Audrey sniffed, "Did you make cookies?"

"Of course!" said Grandma Dee.

"And I get to stay here all

day and all night?"

"'Till the stars say goodbye

and the sun says hello."

Audrey smiled and took a cookie from

the plate Grandma Dee offered her.

Between melty, sugary bites she asked, "Grandma? What's a miracle?"

Grandma Dee laughed. "That's a big question coming from a little girl."

"I'm five!" exclaimed Audrey.

Grandma Dee thought for a moment

"Is five too big for a story?"

Audrey shook her head. "I like

stories" she said, brushing cookie crumbs from her face.

Audrey ran into the living room and

leaped onto the couch. Vern, Grandma Dee's black dog, looked up from his cozy bed in the

corner and thumped his tail.

Grandma Dee patted Vern

affectionately, then joined Audrey on the couch. "Did you know there's a miracle right here in this room?" she asked.

Grandma Dee laughed.

"Right over there!" she said

pointing at Vern.

Audrey wrinkled her nose.

That's just Vern," she said.

"Just Vern' just happens to be a miracle, too. Want to hear about it?

Audrey nodded, her eyes on Vern.

"You're probably too young to remember her, but we used to have a dog named Alice. She was a sweet with long brown and white curly hair. One day, I was going to take Alice to get groomed.

"What's groomed?" asked Alice.

"Like when you got your haircut last week," said Grandma Dee, ruffling Audrey's hair.

"Some dogs need haircuts too."