The loss of a friend

In the dark moonless night, he let his tears fall, kneeling in the dirt. The stars played as they peeked in and out of the clouds, something wet splattered against his face. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and the wind made his hair dance, a chill wrapping around him. Another drop. 

Looking from the sky to the mound on the ground in front of him, he reached with no conscious thought and grabbed a handful. Thunder rumbled overhead. She had been afraid of thunder, but warm summer rains always called to her.

 I am sorry. I am so sorry. He thought allowing the dirt to run through his fingers. Wrapping his arms around his stomach as a shuddering cry escaped him. 

He had not been there! There was nothing he could have done, they had told him, but that did not make him feel any better. How did they know there had been nothing he could have done? He had been in such a hurry to get to work that day. 

She had been beautiful and full of life, but too late now he regretted having been inattentive that day as she had cried to him, following him throughout the house begging for his attention. The wind picked up as he finally stood, three hours later, panting, having screamed himself horse. His eyes where blurry as he stumbled back to the car. He gasped for air, chocked, then coughed, then cried again quietly. He waited till his eyes cleared enough that he could see through the rain, now pounding his windshield. Though the tears did not stop, he did make it safely home.

Pulling into the driveway he just looked long and hard at the house. Three bedroom, two and a half bath, and twelve acres of land. It had been the perfect fresh start, as a lawyer of some decent renowned he was not short of clientele and had been more then capable of purchasing the place in the countryside of London. He could see them growing old together here. 

True she had only been a dog to most, but he was still allowed to grieve her, wasn’t he? 

She had been left as a puppy with her dead mother, to starve in a shed after tenants had been evicted by one of his clients only two years ago. There were eight puppies in total, and after the long-drawn-out court case the client had offered to let him take one. Pure bred great Pyrenees, with light tan fur, little white paws, with a small black patch around her nose. She had been so sweet that he just could not refuse. When he had brought home the six-week-old baby he had not realized what trouble he had been getting himself into.

After the puppy was two months old, he had decided it was time to take her the local dog park to help her get her energy out; she had been destroying everything in his apartment! A few weeks there and he had met a woman. The woman had a male Pyrenees, registered, and was wondering if he had considered breeding her. The woman was a professional herself and thought his companion would be an excellent mother. 

Time went by, they talked and planned, and eventually flirted, till after two years they were engaged. This was followed by their move into the new house and the announcement of his companions first pregnancy. He reached and patted her head keeping her calm at her ultrasound. It showed eight puppies! Oh, how excited everyone had been. 

He opened the car door the rain drenching him immediately. He splashed through the puddle that was now his front walk, till he burst through the front door. 

“Daddy!” Came the cry of a little girl, no older than three, as she scampered around the corner.

Snatching her up, he hugged her fiercely “Hello, darling.”

“Daddy? Are you sad?” His little angle wiped a tear from his cheek. 

“Yes, Baby. I am very sad.” He answered honestly. 

“Why?” 

“I lost a friend today and it made me sad.”

“How did you lose them? Will they come back?” She was so innocent. She had been at Grandmas the day it all went wrong.

Tears pricked his eyes again, “No.”

The little girl was not sure how to respond head tilted and eyes curious. “Come. Let's get you to bed.” he patted her back, walking up the stairs. 

Bed time complete and little one safely in bed with all her stuffed animal friends, he found his love in the front room, sitting in a chair, wrapped in a blanket absorbed in her book. he leaned over and gave her a kiss.

Smiling warmly up at him, she felt his inner turmoil as thunder rattled the windows. She stood from her seat, inviting him to join her on the couch for some much needed snuggles. As they cuddled, and their big male Pyrenees sat at their feet. His emotions had calmed, and the wind outside died down. 

“I am sorry I was not there for her.” His lover apologized, sniffling as she too cried.

He wrapped his arms around her, laying his head atop hers as he gave her a light squeeze. “It wasn’t your fault. We both thought she had another two weeks left. The early delivery was unexpected for all of us.”

The sweet girl had been laboring all day managing to successfully birth to six of her puppies, but there had been something wrong. When He had gotten home that day he had found her bleeding profusely. He had rushed her to the vet, but by then it was too late.  

The next day they took her to a cemetery nearby and held a little service in her honor. His love had to leave as she could not leave the puppies unattended for too long with how young they were. He had stayed behind to weep in peace. She was just a dog to many, but she had been a part of his family, and he would miss her.