My Boy

I see you everyday, just sitting there. Everyday I walk out of the store, I just see you sitting. I come out everyday with food for you. Heh… You always seem so hungry, gobbling down that burger. I bring you out water and you lap it down.

When it was raining that one night you were still sitting outside. I found it stupid… and sad. So I went outside with my umbrella and let you have it. When my shift was over I let you come home with me. I gave you a shelter from the rain. You got a bath and got so clean. You looked so happy! It made me smile. It’s been a long time since I last smiled, actually. Even though I gave a bed to sleep on, you chose to sleep on mine. Was it because you heard me crying from my nightmares, or was your bed not comfy enough? Either way you were warm and melted the ice in my heart. The next day, when I went to work, you sneaked out of the house and followed me. I looked out the window and giggled because you were staring at me. I stayed with you during my lunch break and we walked home together.

Remember how you tried protecting me from that man I walked home with that one night after work? Well look at you two now, sleeping on the couch together so peacefully. I see you two playing together, too. It makes me laugh and smile. It was funny when you two became like best friends and still wouldn’t let us sleep together in the same bed. But he never got mad. You helped him and became his best man at our wedding. You became the best friend of our first child. You had never left my side after all these years.

Thank you, my dog.