Hey Mom & Dad (aka Buddha’s human parents),

You’re not going to believe this. Apparently Spencerville rules on full moons are real. Threw a stick in the moonlight and Vincent (yup, your chubby little Bear Cub) transformed – into a tall & handsome man!

No kidding, dad, and don’t worry mom, he still loves his Bark Burger fish treats and has the same Buddha-like calmness.

Now, he’s my partner in a different sense, and we’ll navigate life’s new adventure together – a woman and her… transformed dog (I know, sounds like Twilight, right?).

Anyway, I’m still cool with it. Life in Spencerville, eh! Vincent sends Woof Woofs (I’ll cover his modesty, no full moon nudity pics, promise!)

Teddy Bear sends his love,

Woof.

Okay, Breathe. Hands shaking, I pick up a stick and hold it out to him. What’s the big deal? It’s Vincent, I’ve known him forever. But with the full moon shining above, yes, I said “Full moon” like out of a cheesy werewolf novel… something changes.

Guidebook to Spencerville rule #1: Never hold out a stick and throw it in the direction of the moon during a full moon. Did I listen? No, but in my defense who listens to rules about full moons? It’s Vincent, my stubborn Newfoundland buddy who actually reminds me more of a teddy bear that’s had one too many donuts.

As soon as the stick left my hand, Vincent’s black and white blur lunged towards where it was heading. His ordinarily calm demeanor morphed into an athlete’s vitality, and I couldn’t help but let out a giggle of admiration. Romcom starring me and a very large, very stubborn, very playful teddy bear right? Wrong!

Suddenly, he stops mid-run. Uh-oh. What happened to my lovely 170-pound mound of fun? He whips his head back, fixating his gaze upon the full moon. Basking in the lunar light, Vincent gets enveloped in an ethereal glow, and I find myself stepping back involuntarily. Thinking, ‘Is this is it? Are we breaking up, Vincent?’

Breaking Spencerville Rule #1 might not have been a romantic walk in the park kind of mistake because suddenly, where my delightful dog was once racing towards a stick, now stood a tall, and I mean like a very tall and ruggedly handsome man.

“Hey,” he says, confidently disregarding his nudity. “Ever wondered why I always choose fish from Bark Burgers?”

I almost had a laughing fit, but then I caught sight of a very familiar object by his feet, Vincent’s favorite pickle toy. Okay, I am supposed to be scared or at least disgusted right? But honestly, knowing those stubborn but endearing personality traits are contained in a man that looks like he walks off the cover of Fabio’s latest book every day, it’s not that gross.

He’s Vincent, he’s always been Vincent. My best friend, my partner in crime, and my confidante. And now…maybe, he’s something more.

I mean, sure he still forages recklessly through cupboards, devours fish burgers from Bark Burgers with an almost savage delight, and holds dental bones between his teeth with the same enthusiasm, but it’s Vincent and I wouldn’t change a thing.

I know, I know. A dog turned man on a full moon in Spencerville, why am I cool with a paranormal love story like some Twilight-fan gone overboard?

Remember when I told you he’s got a heart as big as his physique? Yeah. It turns out in Spencerville, love sometimes isn’t just limited to a species or a form.

Apparently dogged determination isn’t just Vincent’s trait. It’s mine too. And now, we navigate this adventure together, a fearless woman, and the man who used to be her dog. So, Now what? New rule: always throw the stick during a full moon. The end.

The End.