Sunday

Jade walks a trail from the girls room, to James room, outside, then back, her ears down, her eyes watchful. She's looking for the kids, of course. She sneaks in and sleeps on Jame's bed and lays on the sheets from JooJoo's.

With a slow, painful kind of resignation, she limps back to me, pushing her head under my hand, staring up with puzzled eyes.

She's just a dog with questions.
"Where did they go?"
"Did they forget me?"
"Are they coming back?"
"Jackie, you aren't leaving too, are you?"

I understand the beauty of dogs more each passing year.