Alone, she stood barefoot on the cold tiles, immersing herself in the portrait. She wiped the tears that kept welling despite herself.
His large brown eyes looked at her with the quiet wisdom and love she'd known for years. The gray strands touched his black hair. She remembered how soft it had felt. He'd fought the end as she'd tried to make it easier for him. They’d spent most evenings together in the living room. He’d insisted on sharing meals with her up to the end.
His breathing rasped as he walked. He’d come into the bedroom with her as she went to the bathroom.
When she'd come out minutes later, she'd found him lying on the faded bedspread, his beautiful eyes staring, unblinking. His labored breathing ceased. She’d thought he’d improved that evening, but wasn't there a rebound of the old self before the end?
She gulped back a sob and reached out to straighten his image in the ornate frame on the wall. Fourteen years they'd been together, the most loyal dog she owned.
About the author
Donna Gum began writing in non-fiction and ghost-writing, but couldn’t resist the call of fiction. She enjoys writing flash fiction in the Appalachian Mountains. Her latest fiction was published by Borderline Tales in December, 2024.
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