“Where are you taking him, mommy? Please don’t take him away. He’s my best friend …” tears lined Isa’s cheeks as she held on to our wheezing, dying dog.

“He is going to visit his Mum,sweetheart” I ran my fingers through her hair, wiling my tears not to spill.

“Why cant she come visit him? He’s not well, don’t you see” she tightened her hold on his dull, dry coat. Bruno felt her hot tears on his body and whimpered as he tried to raise his head to meet hers.

“She’s not well too, Isa. And Bruno wants to go- look, he’s trying to tell you that” My voice broke at the last word, as i looked at my little pup who had been my first baby.

“Say goodbye to him, Isa” Jack said. He had put the car out in the driveway and come into the hall where my daughter was rocking in tears, not letting her best friend go.

Jack bent down, and touched Isa’s shoulder. “He needs to remember your smile when he leaves, sweetie. He is always jumping and excited when you go to school, and when you get back”

“But Dddy, he wont come back” she sobbed between words.

“Of course he will! You are his best friend too. And you know he loves Mom’s meatballs- he couldn’t stay away.” Bruno wagged his tail at the memory

Isa looked up at her father “He will come back?”

“Yeah.. why don’t you ask him yourself?”

She turned back to Bruno, her eyes looking intently into his, and asked “You will come back, ol’d boy?”

He wagged his tail more fervently, and licked her face- that wily little lier!

She giggled, “stop… ok. You be a good boy and come back soon. I will miss you, you know.” She had stopped crying, and the trails of tears had dried on her face “Oh.. and say hi to you mum for me. I hope she gets well soon”

“That’s my girl“ Jack said quietly, kissing the top of her head. He bent down, and picked up the fragile Bruno in his arms, taking him outside into the sunshine one last time.