Loss
They do not know, he thought to himself. These people who think I'm being silly and demanding. They cannot know what love is. How could they? If they did, they would understand what it means to lose someone you love so much, he thought as he pressed his lips together firmly, fighting back the tears. They say 'It's just a dog,' and look at you like you're insane. They shake their heads, roll their eyes and say you're being overly dramatic, but they don't know. They cannot know what love is. How sad to be them, he thought with a small superior smile.
Anyone who has ever loved a pet knows what he is going through. Having a dog is like having a perpetual infant. They are completely dependent on their person, unlike cats, who have a distasteful independent streak, Michel thought with a frown. Their sun rises when you do, their world ends when you leave the room. And, each time you reappear, it's Christmas Day. The excitement so profound, that they cannot help but dance. The joy shines from their warm brown eyes when they realize that you have come back to them. The unadulterated glee of knowing this person was put on Earth specifically to love them and for them to love in return. Anyone who has ever loved a dog like I loved Chin Chin would know, Michel thought petulantly.
He closed his eyes, stroking Paw Paw's soft, thick fur, noting how different it felt from Chin Chin's. People don't realize that each and every dog has his or her own personality, like a person, but more perfect, like a snowflake. Dogs have no hidden agenda. Your dog doesn't mock you or pity you or find you annoying. Your dog simply adores you. Michel listened carefully to the Celine Dion song that Zach was playing with such tender emotion as he reflected on his companions. Paw Paw was always the happier of the two, full of life and mischief. Chin Chin chose to be more reserved with his emotions, but was more empathetic to Michel's moods. Paw Paw would dance and prance and vie for attention. Chin Chin would just sit quietly at his side, waiting patiently for the touch of his hand on his head. And when he spoke, Chin Chin had a way of tilting his head just so, letting Michel know that he heard and understood. When he was upset, Chin Chin would stretch out at his feet, placing a comforting paw over Michel's foot, letting him know he was there.
Even as Michel carried him into the veterinarian's office, tears streaming from his eyes, Chin Chin tired to comfort him with his soft brown gaze. So pure, so trusting, Michel thought as he choked back a sob. He had stroked his ears gently as the vet examined him, keeping his eyes level with Chin Chin's, talking softly to him in his native French, letting him know that he was there. With a soft sigh, Chin Chin closed his velvety brown eyes and drifted away, leaving his disconsolate person behind to mourn.
These smug people with their condescending consolation, he thought sadly. How can they not know that there is no love more pure, more unconditional than the love between a dog and his person, a person and his dog. It comes with startlingly few expectations. If you do not chew my couch, I will scratch your ears. If I give you only the best gourmet dog food, you promise not to do a number two in my Bruno Magli loafers. It is a relationship built on trust and respect, and I respected Chin Chin more than I respect any person, Michel thought as his eyes darted around the crowded room. And he loved me more than anyone ever has.