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“She’s gone,” I say tearfully.
“What do you mean gone, Penny?”
“She passed away in her sleep.”
“But… but she was fine this morning. I gave her a bite of my bagel.”
“I know. It happened so fast. She walked with us out to the studio and went in her bed, and then she was just… gone.” I inhale a deep breath to try to stop myself from crying. “I loved her so much, Lily.”
“I know you did. I did, too,” she says, sniffling. “Oh my God, my father… how is he?”
“He’s devastated. He’s burying her in the yard by the barn as we speak. He wouldn’t let me help. I feel so helpless.”
“In the yard?” she repeats. “Shouldn’t he take her to the vet? That’s what my gram did when her dog died. She got her ashes back and put them on the mantel.”
“I offered that, but he wants her to be in the yard because she loved it so much. He was so attached to her, Lily. She was always with him, night and day. After your mom died, Cherry is really all he had.”
“I know,” she says softly. Lily isn’t a crier, but sadness is evident in her voice. “Do you think I should come home? I can have Aunt Kirsty drive me back.”
Without even looking out the window, I know Alex is still digging. I can hear the thunk of the shovel every six seconds.
“I don’t know…he seems to want to be alone. He made me come back in the house.”
“This is going to destroy him, isn’t it? Do you think he’ll start drinking again?”
“No,” I say quickly. “He’ll be heartbroken, but I don’t think he’ll go down that road again.”
“I hope not. That’s all I heard growing up from my grandparents. ‘What a horrible drunk your father is, what a loser he is, he killed your mother.’ Their comments were never ending.”
Anger rises up in me. “They seriously exaggerated. Don’t let their thoughts about him cloud your own. That’s not fair for either of you.”
“You’re right,” she agrees sadly. “I’ll call him tonight after he has a little while to process it.”
“That’s a good idea. I think he’d love to hear your voice.”
“Are you okay? You knew Cherry much longer than I did. She was so attached to you.”
“I feel like my heart’s been ripped out, to be honest. I loved her like she was my own dog. She was older than us, did you know that? She had to be at least nineteen years old. That’s incredibly rare for her breed.”
“Wow,” she exclaims. “But you know what? I think she stayed alive as long as she could just to love him. I think she waited until she felt like he’d be okay before she let herself leave. People and pets do that. I read about it.”
A tear slides down my cheek. “I think you’re right.”
“I feel so bad that this happened when you’re there alone.”
“It’s okay. It’s just a sad day.”
“I’m sorry, my aunt is yelling downstairs. She’s made reservations at a restaurant and doesn’t want to be late. I’ll call you guys later, okay? Or you can text me if you need to talk. I’ll have my phone with me.”
“Okay. Thank you. I’m sorry to call with bad news when you’re supposed to be having a fun weekend.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m worried about you and Dad. And now I’m sad about Cherry. She was such a cool dog.”
“Try to have a good time. Kirsty seemed really excited to spend time with you.”
“I’ll try. I love you guys.”
“We love you too.”
I lay my phone on the kitchen table and look out the window. My throat immediately tightens. Alex is still digging. There’re at least two inches of snow covering the ground now. Was it even supposed to snow today? I don’t recall hearing anything about snow this weekend. I sit on the edge of the table near the window. He might not want me out there with him, but I refuse to leave him alone. I’ll stay right here, watching over him, until he comes inside.
A half hour ticks by. Watching the snow fall has almost put me in a trance. Memories of Cherry filter through my mind. She wasn’t just a dog. She was a friend. She always made me feel special and loved with the way she insisted on walking me to and from the edge of the woods. Right from the first day I wandered into Alex’s yard, she acted like she knew me.
And I recognized her, too. I’d been drawing her since I was three years old.
How? Why?
A flash of color drags my gaze from Alex and the hole he’s standing in. Squinting, I see two red cardinals flitting about, chasing each other. Finally, they perch on a tree branch near the barn.
They’re beautiful, like little red roses with wings.
