Rescue

She'd been behaving differently for ages.

Long bouts of sadness followed by incredible highs; there was definitely a cycle of ups and downs that no one had noticed earlier on.

Sometimes the lows would go on for days, if not weeks. Nothing could seem to get her interested in the games she used to play, the foods that used to be special treats.

She'd spend hours stretched out on the couch. The television would be on, but she'd not be paying any attention. Instead, her eyes would dart from the windows to the door, every now and then straying to follow shadows and listen to whispers that may not have been there at all.

In her manic phase, she'd be incredibly animated. She'd jump up from that sofa, run around the house, begging to be seen and heard. Her voice would sing, and her breath would be ragged. It was truly a sight to behold, in that most joyous of joys.

It took almost two years to notice a pattern.

In the beginning of those two years, the whispers were thought to be imaginary.

Turns out, they were just hard to hear.

It was late October, or maybe the first of November, when Margaret heard him speak.

"Hey, girl."

Just that. Nothing more, and the reaction was instantaneous. Like a switch had been thrown, she'd leapt up and began dancing with excitement. Her voice elevated as surely as her mood; there was wordless song and boundless joy.

These fits of happiness would last anywhere from minutes to hours, and everyone who witnessed them couldn't help but smile.

When Sadie danced, the world danced with her.

When Sadie smiled, the world grinned.

His girl would instantly brighten, and people who've never lived with a dog can't possibly comprehend their capacity to smile.

Margaret was the woman of his dreams, but now she is his widow. Sadie was and will always be his best girl. She was a rescue, more Heinz than Golden, but they were 57% sure she had Retriever running through her veins. Sadie had been with him since before the wedding, long before the funeral. He used to joke that he wasn't sure who rescued whom.

The incredible thing is, for the last two years, Sadie has still been playing with her master.

It never occurred to Margaret to be afraid. She would cry and she would laugh as that big, adorable mutt jumped on the furniture, chasing a man years gone, but impossibly here.

"I love you," she once managed to choke during a Sadie celebration.

Tail wagging, the dog came up to her and put her head in the widow's lap.

"I know," the room whispered, and for the first time in months, Margaret laughed.