Our Puppy Misses Max Too

  Max wanted to get a dog when he was younger but his parents would never let him have one because he didn't do his chores regularly, the thought a dog would be too difficult for hi to keep an eye on all the time. When Max turned eighteen he moved out of his parents' house to come live with me, because he couldn't have a dog as long as he lived with his parents. I adopted a shelter puppy for him while he was at his grandparents' house helping them build a front porch and clean out their garage.

      The day he left to go help them for a week he looked excited and anxious when I asked why he frowned at me. "Because I love you and I don't like being away from you, I'm looking forward to the time with my grandparents but I don't want to be without you," he looked down at his beat up converse and bit his lip. "I'll be right here when you come back, I promise," I kissed him goodbye and he left with a smile.

    When he came home at the end of the week he found me laying in bed with the puppy tucked up against my chest. "You got me a puppy?" he squealed excitedly. "Actually I got us a puppy, his name is Frankie and he's part of our family now," I answered sleepily, petting the sleeping Frankie. "You're the best ever, I love you so much," he kissed me sweetly and cuddled up to my side, laying his head on my shoulder.

       Frankie has been upset since Max died too, he always jumps up when the door is knocked on; excited like me that Max could be outside and has forgotten his keys again. It's usually Max's parents or one of my few friends that I haven't talked to since the funeral. Max was always the more social one, I would only ever go out if he went with me. He was the only real friend that I've actually had in my life. When he died I cut myself off from all of the people that we used to be friends with, I know it was wrong but I couldn't be around them without having memories of Max. 

       When I look at Frankie he tilts his head to the side and all I can do is pet him through my sobs, whispering inaudibly and probably unintelligibly "I know baby boy, I miss him too." The thing about dogs is, they know things but they don't judge you. Frankie is almost better therapy than music