Continued…

“What’s going on?” the man asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, what do you want to talk about?” he prodded. “You called me.”

“Rufus died. Are you happy now?”

The young man’s eyes opened wide, his lips parted for a split second. “I don’t know what to say.”

The young woman wiped away the tears running down her cheeks with the back of her hand. “He was run over by a car yesterday afternoon.”

“How can I help?” the young man questioned, leaning forward and sliding his hand toward her.

“There’s not much anyone can do,” the woman said. “Time heals all wounds, right?”

“I don’t know about that,” the man stated, tapping the table with a spoon.

“Can you stop doing that, please?” she whispered.

“I know it annoys you,” he said, with a half-hearted smile.

“I will miss Rufus, but you are the heartbeat of my soul.” She spoke as if trying to hold back the words.

The man nodded a few times, cleared his throat, then said, “Rufus was an awesome dog. Ugly as all get out, but a great dog to have around. Remember the time he took my grilled cheese sandwich?”

The woman leaned forward to place her hand on his mouth. She whispered, “Please come home.”