A Day Like This

I remember seeing the human so stressed and annoyed at everything around them. I could feel their muscles tense with every breath they took and their hair grew matted from their constant roosing of it. There was a time when all I could do was sit with them patiently and wait for their muscles to ease and for their toothy, watery smile to stare back at me. My tail doesn’t wag just anything, but seeing their beautiful smile never fails to get my tail ecstatic. 

Every morning at 6:04 a.m. they would awaken from their slumber to brush their teeth. Knowing from my years of experience, that they were getting ready to leave me. I watched, with brown, glazed eyes, them comb their wild hair from the bedroom doorway.  Don’t worry I’ll be back, they’d say. I always had a seed of fright that this was the last time I’d see them. But they always came back, with their arms open and their smile reaching to the corners of their eyes. We would lock eyes and they would kiss my moist nose to declare their love for me. Silently, I declared my love for them over and human over again, hoping they’d hear it one day. 

It was a beaming morning sun when I awoke to find the lying in bed. It was hours past 6:04 am, and I thought they must have overslept. Their relaxed stature told me differently. They awoke like a flower blossoming slowly in the blazing sun. They languidly walked about the house without their normal sense of urgency. They sat with me as we watched Game of Thrones together that day. I usually had to wait until they came home at night to watch the show, but it was still daylight when they snuggled close with me as we watched Joffrey be poisoned. 

I wondered why they had stayed home with me, but those thoughts were soon cast to the back of my mind when they took me out for a walk. The rough pavement scratched at my paws, but I didn’t care because I was finally with my human. I can’t remember the last time I got walked, but I’ll never forget this time.  My fur seemed to shine even more golden than ever before and my heart raced with exhilaration. After the walk, my human and I retreated back to our house. My legs were heavy from my first time going on a walk in a while and I lapped up my water bowl like I had just come from the desert. My human chuckled at me with their big, beautiful eyes. Their light brown eyes had little specks of gold in them if you look close enough. I wonder if mine do too. I hope they do, so it’ll be physical proof of our eternal connection.  

My human slumped back onto the couch while I trailed behind them. We cuddled again as the sunlight grew dimmer and the moonlight replaced it. I felt their heartbeat next to my chest as they held me close. I am a lot smaller than them, but in that instant it felt like our two hearts beat as one, like two souls dancing around each other. I came to them when I was just a puppy. My eyes were still blurry from my entrance into the world and the first thing I saw in clear view was their toothy grin staring back at me. They say love at first sight isn’t real, but in that moment, I could have swore it was. I felt immediate affection for the human and them for me. We celebrated my 9th birthday last month, and they had watery eyes as they wished me a happy birthday. I owe my life to this human, and in a way I think they owe theirs to mine. 

I was interrupted from my thoughts by the rousing sound of a cell phone ringing before my human picked up the little device and put it to their ear.  

“We’re fine, Mom. I have a lot of food and soap. I took Chester out for a walk for a little bit and now we’re just watching TV,” they said into the device. 

I’ve seen them use that device all the time, in bed their face lights up, on the couch their delicate fingers grae the glass with such care. It’s silly to be envious of something inanimate, but I am. The finger used to swipe left and right could be used to stroke my fur and assure me that they care. Every time I see the screen light up, I become a bit morose at the sight.

But the feeling pales in comparison to the feeling I get when they leave home. They leave everyday at 6:30 am. I awake with them and watch their daily routine before the door closes and all the noise in the house goes still.  I sit there with such longing and emptiness, that I can’t even tell how much time passes. Sometimes I fantasize what they’re going to when they leave. I could see them sword fighting an evil overlord or flying with their cape billowing behind them as they go to save someone. I get interrupted by the familiar click of the front door where I see my human enter tiredly yet content. They take time to rub the spot behind my ears and kiss my nose before mindlessly eating their dinner and then retreating to bed. It is a routine I am used to and I can’t lie and say I expected any more from my human. They often had grey circles under their eyes and a fatigued smile whenever they looked at me. It was a tiring life they led and I was just there to help them.

Until today, that routine had been sound, but the day I had always hoped for and I finally spent the day in my human’s arms. They suddenly put down their phone and returned to embracing me.

“Sorry about that,” they said, “Did you have fun today? I hope you did. I had a lot of fun.”

They softly grinned and returned their focus back to the television while stroking my back.  

I had the most fun in my entire life today all because my human was there to spend it with me.  I know it won’t happen often, but I wish everyday was a day like today.