A dance with love and death.

A sunny day before a rainy cold night...

Ozly continues eating. I was doing the same. I was waiting for him to start, to do something because I clearly could not.

He wasn't doing anything. I mean, what did you expect? Humans are always humans and they always disappoint in little matters or something big. Like this would turn out to be...

I got away from my meal and left it as if it was still unfinished and approached him. He was in his sweatpants but he seemed shaken.

I lift my paw to touch him encouragingly.

He wasted no time. He got down on his knees and he broke down in front of me. "Today, is the anniversary. That's why we're doing the party".

At first, I did not know what he was talking about but the next thing he said made me realize.

"A party for the third party of our small family. A family who was slowly growing".

I curled beside him and try to warm him. Internally.

"That was five years ago. When it... happened...". He looked up. As if to something larger. Perhaps the unknown. Or the place I'm in right now. "And to think that we already planned where to enlist him We would have done it a lot better if it weren't for our little hiccup". He tried to laugh to lift the spirits but in the end, he half managed to hold himself for crying. Badly. "And our little break after".

He turned to look into my eyes. With his right hand, he caressed my face. He reminded me of Toxy. Of the state, she was in. I hope that changed now...

"She went to Rome. That's where she said she was. She said it was nice. It replaced the pain for a while but sooner than later she was always brought back to reality". He strides to the refrigerator and gets a beer. "I know there was this Siv that wanted her, still does. But I also know what happened with them belonged in the past. As my past relationship with Alexa".

He stops talking for a bit and proceeds on doing a thing that I was later told is called chugging. Well, he chugged nonstop three cans of beer with the leftovers making a mess on his shirt.

"The past uh? Hard to remember it, easy to forget it. But by forgetting it, you deem it nonexistent. By letting it go, it is like you have never lived it. If your past doesn't exist, your life no longer exists. Not even in your mind. Your memories and actions are what define your past and from there, you will act accordingly in the future. Memories, good or bad, are what make you alive. Is what separates the living from the dead. We are alive and able to make even the simplest smaller memories that might stick to us for years to come while the others do not have that chance. I can only hope that they revaluate their life through their memories one last time before they go away. A great event like tonight is what often makes a good memory. Something that we will keep in our lives and help us move on. Because what are your memories worth to you if you let them alone and forget to die? The world is not there to make your life memorable, to capture it for future generations, to study and compare today's real society with whatever it is to come. They say your past always catches up to you. Toxy... We have been constantly trying to avoid ours but that seems inevitable now". He stops drinking his sixth can of beer and stares at me.

He walked toward me and caressed my hair. He motioned me to his side. I followed him and we got to the porch or was it a balcony? My memory is a bit hazy.

He sat in the same seat as Toxy in the same place and waved a hand to me to come closer. I did and he pulled me to his lap. That was admirable. The strength of this guy! I was told I am too heavy for my age but he managed to pick me up like I was nothing but air.

He looks good physically but he took it to a whole other level. Turns out, he's full of surprises...