Girl's Best Friend

Epilogue

12 Years Later...

Hank

I lift my heavy eyelids and take a deep breath, watching the flames in the fireplace as their warmth permeates my fur. Laying on my bed in front of the fireplace is my favorite place to be.

Except in bed between Mom and Dad.

I hear the patter of feet rushing through the house, but I'm too tired to lift my head. I can tell it's Stella though.

My oldest pup.

She comes into the living room and smiles when she sees me. My tail begins to thump in joy as she kneels beside me, pressing her forehead to mine like she always does.

She's the goodest girl.

I lick her cheek and her sweet laughter rings through the room. She runs her little hand along my body, feeling my fur. She gets a worried look on her face and I don't like it so I whine a little.

"Mom!" She calls out and a few moments later Mom comes in the room.

"Yeah, Stel?" She asks and Stella looks back down at me.

"Hank looks tired, Mom." She says and Mom comes over to kneel by me too. My tail thumps some more as she looks me over.

"Yeah he does. Sweetie, will you go get your dad and brother please?" She asks and Stella nods before she gets up to dash away.

Mom sits on the floor and bends over to pick me up, cradling my head against her chest. She leans down to kiss my snout and I lick her cheek before she pulls away to look down in my eyes.

"Hey, baby."

Hey, Mama.

She knows.

She knows it's time for me to go.

She holds me and pats my head, scratching behind my ears.

Mom always gives the best ear scratches.

"What's up, sweetheart?" I hear Dad's voice and my tail thumps harder.

"It's Hank." Mom says, her voice sounds so sad. Dad comes to sit next to me too, his eyes wide and worried.

"Is he?" He asks and Mom nods.

"I don't know how I know. I just do." She says quietly and Dad's eyes glisten with tears.

Reid, our youngest pup, sits behind me with Stella, both of them petting me softly. Dad lifts me so my body is laying over him as Mom holds my head.

This is my new favorite place to be.

"Is Hank leaving us?" Reid asks sadly. I know Mom and Dad talked to our pups about it. I'm glad they warned them.

I don't want to leave, but I've done everything for them that I was supposed to. I look up at Dad, he looks older now than the man who saved me from the cage all those years ago, but he looks warmer, softer and happier.

That's all because of Mom.

I knew the minute I saw her that she was the one meant for my Dad. I did my best to be her favorite boy so she would keep coming back to see me. I knew with enough time she would love Dad just as much as me.

And I was right.

I love them both so much.

And then they gave me pups to love.

I remember when Stella was in Mom's belly. I used to rest my head on her and feel her little kicks. And Reid, I loved him so much when he came even though he never sat still, even as a tiny baby. I loved them both even when they cried or before they learned not to pull on my ears. I was there for their first steps, their first days of school, the time Stella fell off her bike and hurt her knee it was me she cried on while Mom put on a bandaid. I wish I could see them grow. Maybe have their own pups.