FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Before I can even feel the two muscular arms wrapping themselves around me, I find myself pressed directly against my older brother's chest. He hums a tune that doesn't fit his gravelly voice, but it soothes me regardless. As I attempt to relinquish the feelings of misery in my chest, a hand finds its way behind my ear, its nail stroking the area lovingly. The familiar touch reminds me of our mother, which somehow manages to simultaneously lessen and worsen my sorrow.

While Seth continues coddling me in my feeble state, the absurdity of the situation I find myself in becomes apparent. Though he has always been the type to show affection with physical touching, Seth usually prefers giving me space when I grow upset. Against my better judgment, I leave the topic alone, opting to mull over my thoughts in the lap of the basenji in front of me.

As we sit together in complete silence-- except for the song Seth has been purring into my ear softly-- I finally feel my vocal chord loosen, and the tap in my eyes becomes a slow drip, instead of being a consistent stream like it was before.

With one final ruffle of my ear fur, my half-brother grabs my hand and lifts me to my feet with great speed, sending a slight rush of blood to my head. "Are you feeling okay?" he asks, looking to the side as soon as we make eye contact, "we can leave if you are..."

"I suppose so... though I... did not do everything I wished to do."

"What'd you forget?"

"Flowers. I always pick a select few from the garden for every visit."

Seth hesitates to say anything for a moment, rubbing the nape of his neck awkwardly with his dominant right paw. "Well... it doesn't have to be this visit, right?"

"It does though... I do not wish to wait until next year to decorate their graves with them."

Once again, he strokes that same spot, this time far more vigorously than before. "It... It doesn't have to be next year."

"Hm?" My ears perk up, and I manage to catch his brown eyes for just a moment before Seth turns away from me once more. "You... w-what do you mean?"

"Fu-- fudge, do I really have to say it out loud?" he complains, almost swearing around me before forcing the words back. "I mean that we can... y'know, come back soon. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Ah... I thought..." I can hardly believe that he said that. After all, Seth is the one who asked that we only visit on the anniversary of their death.

Before I can finish my sentence, he cuts me off, knowing full well what I am going to say. "Well, I just said we could visit whenever you wanted bud, and... I'm not the type to go back on my word. Even if I don't really want to, I know you won't come alone for some reason..."

Water begins to well up in my eyes once more, but this time out of happiness rather than discontent. "Thank you very much, Seth," I smile at him, making sure to keep my true emotions veiled as to not appear insensitive. After all, what sort of person ever feels joy when surrounded by deceased loved ones? "M-maybe I should bring some for everyone else here too sometime?"

He shakes his head, clicking his tongue in disagreement. "Naw. I'd rather forget we're even related to most of these people. They were all kind of... assholes."

"Brother... a cemetery is not the place for such language!"

"Dad told you about these people already, didn't he?" he inquires as he grabs my paw, leading me to the gate where we came from. "Those dogs were nothing but a bunch of drugged-up nobodies. It's why we were never allowed to meet any of them."

I wince when I'm reminded of the shameful nature of my father's branch of our family. I tuck my tail in between my legs and I hunch over to look at the ground as I follow behind my brother. "W-well, even if they weren't the best in life... I am sure they would most appreciate knowing we are thinking of them in the afterlife."

He shrugs, pointing to his truck as it and the rest of the deserted parking lot come into view. "Whatever you decide to do is fine with me. Even if Marianne and dad hated them, it doesn't mean you have to share their feelings."

I continue trailing the tail end of my brother's figure but grab his wrist as he goes to open the driver's side door. "...Mother did not like them either?"

"Course not. Almost didn't marry dad because of it. But he had pretty much cut ties with them by the time he married his first wife, so she ignored it."

"Well if she disliked them, maybe it is right to forget about them... A-and what of mother's relatives?"

"Not sure. She never talked to me much about anything, let alone personal matters like that." He rubs his arms self consciously, and for just a moment, the cool and composed basenji I call my brother looks... vulnerable. "Doesn't matter to me though," he huffs, turning his snout to look at a passing flock of birds when he realizes my staring, "we weren't close so why should it?"

"I'm sure she had her reasons for that. She was really nice to me so..."

"You were her kid. I wasn't," he says loudly with a sharp tone, making it clear that he doesn't intend to listen to any further pushing on the topic.

"O-oh, alright." Without another word, I take my place in the passenger seat, and he slumps down in front of the steering wheel.

"...Shit, kind of lost my composure there for a second. Can I make it up to you over lunch or something? I'll pay, of course. We both know even my job lets me earn enough to treat us from time to time."

Seth sticks out his tongue playfully at me, and I return the favor, albeit with some hesitation. Even though I know they are in heaven now, a part of me still believes that my parents could be watching over me and seeing our childish behavior. More specifically, my mother, as my father would probably find this charming. Or at least, that's why I believe I stalled the act. But for some reason, the ill-feeling I get in my stomach when worried about disappointing my parents is even more intense than usual.

"That sounds nice, but I will pay for myself." I return my tongue to the inside of my mouth and take out the flip phone I had purchased the month prior.

"Nope. Not happening."

"C-come now, I got a part-time job so I could help you pitch in for stuff," I retort.

He flicks my nose as he revs the engine, pretending to scold me as a parent would. "I told you that your paycheck should go to buying things you want and your college fund. Why not spend it on some of those romance novels you're always reading?"

"They are dramas... they just have romantic subplots..." While I attempt to lie about my embarrassing reading habits to my brother, I open my messenger app and shoot a text to a certain lion near the top of my contacts list.

Rufus, how are you today? Are you on your shift right now?

Seth and I continue bantering to fill the time as I wait for a reply. Being able to talk so nonchalantly after hearing me cry my eyes out... that's something I admire about my older brother. He's able to move on from things far quicker than I ever could. After only three minutes of chattering, a new message causes my cell to vibrate.

Caleb!!! Good, and yes, are you coming in?! I can save you a table!!

I'm surprised by how quickly a response comes in, considering he said he was working. Ignoring the characteristic overuse of exclamation points, I shoot back with a reply of my own.

Yes. And if you are not too busy to spare one, that would be appreciated. Thank you.

"Seth, would you like to visit The Wooded Diner? I am in the mood for what they have there," I question as I make a small request over text.

"Oh, that's right, they serve lunch now. I'm down for that, they're like, the only good cheap place to eat in town anyways."

I force a smile, placing a hand on Seth's shoulder out of a sudden urge. "Great! I cannot wait."

"Caleb!"

As soon as I enter the small restaurant, I'm greeted by the sight of a burly barbary lion practically skipping towards the door. The boy has pale brown fur adorning his body. His mane is tied in the back to look like a ponytail and is a light orange color near the head. As it travels further down, that color changes to a dark gray, and eventually a jet black by the time it reaches his hip. He stops right in front of me, bending at the knees slightly to meet my eyeline. I'd probably be intimidated at the sight of his peanut eyes, had he not pranced his way over here... or had I not known him for so many years.

"Good afternoon, Rufus! How are you today?"

" I already told you over text!" he lets out a gruff laugh as he lifts me off the ground in a hug.

"Um... could you let me g-go? My older brother is watching us... Plus there are tons of other patrons here right now..." That last part isn't exactly truthful. There are only four groups here if I counted right, and this place is usually full. Still, an assortment of different species have their eyes naturally drawn to Rufus's booming voice, staring at him out of curiosity and confusion. I can feel my face grow warm from the attention, and I struggle in the air in an attempt to free myself.

He heeds my command and lets my toes feel the ground beneath me once more. We both turn to face Seth, who shrugs and offers a hand to Rufus. "Hey, long time no see, squirt."

"Yo, Seth! Should've known Caleb would bring you along. Got a table reserved just for you guys in the back." He announces to the two of us with his city accent and seats us at a booth in the corner, away from the windows. "Menus and everything should be there already. Wave me over or text me or... something when you're ready to order, 'kay?" he waves excessively at the pair of us before sprinting off towards a party of five inpatient looking dingos.

"He's... really handsy with you."

"Yeah, I know," I giggle as I open up the menu placed in front of me, "but that is just something you come to accept when you spend so much time with him."

I flip absentmindedly through the pages of it, having already decided on what I want before we arrived. Seth, on the other hand, seems to be having trouble deciding on a drink, let alone his main course. To keep my mind occupied, I look over my surroundings and note everything of interest. The color of the room, similar to that of a storm cloud, the lack of spacing between seats, and the cluttered brick shelves all give the room an almost claustrophobic feel. However, it manages to instead achieve a homey atmosphere, whether that be because of the soothing jazz playing over the speakers or artificial crackling of the fake fire tucked in the corner. "Caleb." The sound of claws scratching at the wooden table grabs my attention. "What should I get?"

"Indecisive as ever, hm?" I quip. "If you are incapable of making a decision, perhaps just stick with water." Though I could take the joke further by talking in a harsh tone, I can't bring myself to act unkindly towards others, whether for the sake of humor or not.

He narrows his eyes, his lips curling up acutely. "Ah, I see! What a wise choice, my dearest younger brother."

I feign obliviousness to his teasing, cocking my head to the side innocently. "Why, elder brother, I did not know that you could speak so formally!" "Formally? I assure you, this is how I always talk, my dear Caleb."

Dear... An odd thing for my mind to linger on, but hearing that word come from this one dog in particular... it sends a wave of warmth throughout my entire body. "Ehehe... Y-yes, I am sure it is. Now, should we call over our server?"

"Oh, let me look over what fine cuisine is on the menu too my darling spitz! We need not waste their time."

I wave him off dismissively, though once again, the pet name he throws in stirs up an unfamiliar emotion. "Let me know when you are ready to order, okay? I need to... r-respond to a few messages."

He nods, and I place my flip phone on the table, scrolling through chat logs that I hadn't checked yet today thanks to being occupied. I could leave them unread for a while longer, but I want a distraction from the bizarre thoughts running through my head... as well as the lingering dejection from visiting my parents once again.

As I finish replying to the final text, I notice Seth finally wave my friend over, who nods as he jogs over to where a tabby cat and doberman are, almost spilling their drink orders as he slams them down with a bang. Then he sprints over to our table, taking out his notepad and chewed-up pen.

"Hey hey! What can I get for ya?"

My brother and I look at each other with mild concern before giving Rufus the same glare we just shared.

"It's super cramped in here... should you really be running around like that?" Seth pokes the lion forcefully in the ribs as a way to punish his foolish behavior.

"Ow, what the hell!"

"Be more careful. You don't have to sprint around like a moron."

"Jeesh, I hear ya but keep your hands to yourself..." the lion pouts. "I'm running the place alone right now, so I have to be quick or I might burn an order."

"That is a shame, Rufus," I place my hand on his shoulder sympathetically, "I thought your father would be here as well, though. This is his livelihood."

"Aw, don't worry about it. He's actually just out getting a shipment of supplies, needed the other two people on shift to get it with him." I can tell he's annoyed by it, but at least my support seems to have cheered him up a bit. He chuckles before abruptly slamming his notepad on the table, making me and Seth jump. "An-y-ways! That's enough talkin' about me! Your orders, now!"

"Only you could turn your mood around that quickly... Anyways, I'll just have the steak, medium done. Oh, and water. Make it snappy, kitten."

"Shut 'yer trap, that's what I'm trying to do."

I can't help but giggle as the two insult each other. Their intent clearly isn't malicious: this is just how they usually interact.

"Alrighty, Caleb, your order, quick! The kitchen timer is gonna go off any second now!"

"Ah!" I had almost forgotten what I wanted to eat since I was paying so much attention to the conversation unfolding in front of me. "A... a Greek salad with no dressing, and um... water." I shuffle awkwardly as I attempt to ignore the sharp gazes I've gotten as a result of my friend's yelling.

A hyena at the table adjacent to us gives Rufus a death glare, and I sink down to avoid the sight.

"Alright, good choices. Now I've gotta--" Before Rufus can finish speaking, a muffled beeping from the cafe's kitchen rings throughout the building. "Well, that's my cue to leave. I'll try to remember to check on you guys!" He darts towards the room where the sound is originating from, knocking over multiple chairs in his mad dash, and leaving me alone with Seth once more.

"So... how are things at work?" I ask, unable to think of a meaningful topic, but having the desire to hear him speak nonetheless.

"Tiring. Boring. Same as always, really," he grumbles, his ears folding back. "Oh, actually, apparently a new guy is joining the company tomorrow. I bet there are no other jobs available around this shithole, besides maybe a few that pay even less. Can't imagine why anybody would choose to be a mover unless they had to."

I let the profanity go ignored, instead focusing on his negative opinion of his occupation. "S-sorry to hear that... Especially since I am the sole reason you are stuck in that job..."

"C'mon now, don't blame yourself. You've done nothing wrong. Plus you're the only reason I don't live in complete filth." He beams at me, and though it doesn't melt away my guilt, it causes my chest to tighten up.

"I... Thank you. You are right, I will not fret over it," I lie through a forced grin. Part of me wishes I had just kept silent, not apologizing when he wasn't demanding it. Now there's an awkward tension in the air that I'm to blame for.

Still, after almost no time at all, my sibling is able to ease the mood with the discussion of more lighthearted topics. Minutes fly by like they always do when we're together, almost as if today were just another whimsical Saturday afternoon. Were it not for the thunderous chatter of the family of boars occupying a table not too far from our own, I'd be able to tune out the world around me and let Seth discuss his passions for hours.

"Yo, coming through!" the masculine high schooler waiting on us yells as he awkwardly fumbles around the empty tables taking up most of what should be the walkway. His sheer size doesn't help and even causes him to knock down several chairs for the second time since we've arrived. "A salad for the cute spitz, and a steak for the jerk of a basenji!" He plops down the dishes from the tray he was carrying them on, as well as our waters, before collapsing next to me and sliding two rolled-up napkins filled with cutlery onto the table.

I note that when Rufus compliments me, it gives me a dull pleasant feeling. It's contrary to the intense feeling of heat I get whenever Seth compliments me. "Tired, are you?"

"Yeah... I don't know what my pops is thinkin'. This is way too much for me to handle," he states, resting his head on my shoulder for a second before I hear a guttural voice call out near the front desk. He clearly didn't notice it, probably thanks to having less keen ears, since he doesn't go to investigate it.

"That sounds like another customer," Seth and I chime in harmonically.

"What does? And how did you..."

"It's a canine thing," Seth shrugs, "now get out of here, he's looking for you. Plus I want to eat in peace."

"Yeah, gotcha. Oh, and Caleb! Benjamin wants us all to go to the mall tomorrow since we have Monday off. Is that good with ya?"

"Yes, I am free, should I let him know?"

"Nah, I'll do it. I was gonna text him anyway so might as well." Rufus leaps to his feet, struggling to balance for a second. "Welp, when you need your bill or a refill or something just let me know!"

Seth and I continue where we left off, now the only difference being his mouth being stuffed when he opens his mouth. I'm glad he's enjoying his meal, but he could stand to learn some manners. I, on the other hand, have to force my salad down my throat, the taste of all the different vegetables I have a strong dislike for entering my system at once almost being too much for me to handle. For the sake of staying healthy, I convince myself to swallow but am only able to shovel a forkful down my throat every minute or so.

"Jeez... you really aren't enjoying that, are you? Here," he extends his fork out to me, waving the steak he was about to chew on in circular motions.

It takes my full willpower not to bite down on the meat being waggled so close to my face. "Quit it... Coach Tate said eating more vegetables will increase my stamina in the upcoming match, so I have to begin focusing on dieting."

"Ugh... should've figured she put you up to this. How does she expect you to grow if you don't eat any protein?" he protests, rolling down the sleeve of my shirt and examining my arm. "You've got the start of some great muscles here! All you need is some meat."

I giggle from my own ticklishness, shaking his arm off of me as I become lightheaded from the prolonged contact. "It is okay... really. Anything to improve my performance."

He nods, chuckling a little bit for some reason. "Ah... so you're looking to improve your stamina and performance?"

"Yes. That is what I said, is it not?" "Yeah... yeah, it totally was. Haha... never change, bud."

"What do you... actually, do not answer that. I am not sure I could handle the perverted thoughts in that head of yours." I sigh, finally understanding the lewd nature of the conversation.

It only takes a few moments before Seth has scarfed down the food he was teasing me with. As the steak in front of him grows smaller and smaller, my bowl of greens stays the same.

"You're not gonna eat that, are you?" Seth reaches over the table, plucks an olive up in between his claws and throws it into his mouth.

"No... should we just ask Rufus to pack it up?"

"Neither of us is going to eat that willingly. Just leave it and have the rest of mine, okay?"

He slides his plate over to me, and before I can push it back, my stomach starts to growl. "Um... I guess it is b-b-better than starving. Sorry for wasting your money on a salad I was not going to finish... or start."

"Hey, it's no big deal. That was like, what, seven dollars? Even I make enough for that to be pretty insignificant. Now you enjoy that while I pay for the bill, alright?" He ruffles my head fur as I take my first bite of the small portion he set aside for my sake.

"This is quite good." Though it is a bit cold, it's still far better than one would expect anything from a cheap family restaurant to be. Juicy and rich in flavor, this is a definite step up from a salad. And if Rufus weren't busy trying to run the entire cafe, I'm sure this would taste even better.

"Not as good as your cooking though."

My tail starts swishing at his comment, dragging across the black leather beneath me and no doubt leaving a few stray strands of my coat. "Ehehe... t-thank you."

"I'm gonna signal Rufus to bring us the bill and then we can leave. There's somewhere else I want to take you..."

"I cannot believe you convinced me to go out for ice cream..." I whine as I hungrily lap up the bubblegum flavored soft serve in front of me. "I told you I was trying to diet!"

"And yet you still didn't complain while we were there... Besides, I did you a favor. You've barely eaten anything today." I puff out my cheeks at his level headed response. He shrugs and takes a seat on a nearby bench. "C'mon, Caleb. Just try to enjoy yourself."

Sighing, I take my place next to him, fidgeting to get comfortable on the splintery wood. I take another lick at my ice cream, as Seth sinks his teeth into his plain chocolate cone.

"...You're still thinking about them, aren't you."

Neither of us has to clarify who he means by them. I nod, eyes becoming teary once more as we loiter in the empty park at the edge of town. He gives me a few pats on the back, once again purring words of comfort to soothe me. He scoots closer to my end of the bench, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. My emotions aren't as intense as they were earlier, so I'm able to realize just how embarrassed I feel being held like this.

"I do not know how you are being so understanding on this matter. I have been mourning about it for years... and not to mention, I..." I trail off, reluctant to share the last fragment of my thoughts.

"You...?"

"I left them to die."

Seth sits there, silent for a moment, tightening his grip on me. "You didn't do anything wrong. Nobody could've seen that crash coming..." "But I did nothing to help my mother... or father..."

"That may be true, but what could you have done?"

Grabbing the cuff of his polo shirt, I dab at my nose to wipe away the snot dripping from it. "I... I don't know. Something. Anything." I drop my facade of refined speech as I air my grievances to the hound. "I should have at least tried to help them... But I panicked and made everything worse."

Seth ponders for a moment, taking another large chunk of ice cream and letting it melt in his mouth. "Please just... stop blaming yourself for everything, Caleb. You... you don't know how much seeing you like this hurts me..."

As Seth attempts to reassure me as I spill out my regrets, our desserts start to melt and seep into the fur on my hands. "I'm sorry you have to listen to me whine if it bothers you... I know you've been spending all day trying to make me feel better."

"Hey... you know I love our time together. Even if you're down right now, I... I've still just been happy to be around you."

His comment eases my aching heart, even if just for a moment, and my sharp claws dig into the fur near the bottom of his neck on their own accord. I nuzzle into the tuft that extends past his collar, taking in the wood-like scent of it for comfort. "Thanks. I... needed to hear that."

He beams at me, and I return the gesture, albeit with reddened eyes. "Yeah, no problem... and I meant every word of it."

"I figured..." I slip back into how I typically word my sentences, now that I am in a more tranquil state. "...Perhaps we should finish eating these..." I signal to the puddles sitting in our waffle cones.

"Shit..." he starts cleaning his paws in a comedic display, making expert usage of his tongue. For some reason, I can't stop myself from focusing on the way he wraps it around each of his fingers and leaves a trail of saliva from his mouth to his paw pads. "Erm... Caleb?"

"Oh! Y-yes?" "You gonna finish your own before it lands on your crotch, or just keep watching me?" he asks, intrigued by my strange fascination.

Before I can come up with an excuse for what I just did, I realize that the ice cream I'm holding has started to drip onto the leg of my jeans. I clean up the mess as quickly as I can, but a stain has already formed. I devour the rest of the cone and wipe the excess from my lips.

"Heh..."

"W-what?"

My brother laughs at me, though his tone doesn't come across as demeaning. "Ah, forget it. C'mon, I want to go for a walk."

He grabs me by the wrist, leading me through the lifeless public garden. The air is chilly, which is worsened by the shade provided by the bare and dead trees, though it's not enough to bother either of us fur covered canines. There's a distinct lack of flowers, the occasional dandelion being the closest thing. In the center of the park is a gazebo, standing tall and proud, and naturally grabbing my attention. It seems Seth also took note of it, as he starts sauntering in its general direction, picking up any flat stones he finds along the way.

He hops up the creaking plank steps and beckons me to follow suit. We both lean over the railway opposite to the stairs, and he lays out all the pebbles he picked up, choosing a select few to throw at the murky river a few feet from us. I'm content to just watch them skip across the water before plummeting beneath the surface. As we stand there, the sun slowly begins its descent, and the sky changes from a soft blue to a sherbert orange. The rays of sunlight illuminate his dark fur, giving it a brownish hue in more spots than just the two on his face. Such a sight is... oddly breathtaking.

Complete silence washes over the neglected park, though it's not unpleasant. Still, I can't help but feel like my continued glances at my brother won't go unnoticed, so I speak up. "You wished to stay here just to do this?"

"Pretty much," he shrugs, "it's relaxing, y'know?'

"I suppose you are not wrong. Still, should we not get home before the sun sets?"

Another shrug. "It's not like it's winter or anything. Shouldn't be dark out for another hour or so. But if you want to go, that's cool."

"I-if that is okay..."

"No arguments here. I'm down for whatever." He sends me a toothy smile, extenuating his refined facial structure, and I send one back. Still, I can't help but notice how hot I feel at the simple exchange.

Pulling into the driveway with a loud screech of the wheels, Seth swings open his door quickly, stretching out as soon as his feet press against the ground. I follow suit, taking my time as to not further scuff up my hand-me-down shoes. The two of us walk along the narrow strip of dirt that leads up to our less than pleasant to look at abode. My pace is slow, as I want to linger around the patch of flowers I care for to scope out the most vibrantly colored of the bunch. The setting sun makes the task harder than it needs to be, so I give up and pass through the door that my brother is holding open for me.

"So, we've still got some time left in the day... You down for a movie marathon?"

My ears perk up at the thought. "We have not done one of t-those in a long time! That sounds enjoyable."

"Sweet!" he says, long-tail thumping against the torn leather of the sofa as he lazily flops against it.

I turn off the lights and follow suit, sitting close enough to him that he can wrap a blanket around both of our legs. "What are we going to watch?"

"I was thinking of some horror films, y'know, see what's on channel seventy" he looks at me expectantly.

I gulp. I've always despised the genre, but Seth seems to like them, so... "Sounds good!"

Before even five minutes have passed of the first slasher flick, I'm already cowering in my brother's arms, yelping every time the killer takes a step towards his next victim. Seth doesn't seem to mind, patting me on the head comfortingly.

"S-Seth..." I whine fearfully, pressing my head into his chest once again, "can we watch something else, please?"

"Really? Didn't you say you liked horror?"

"Yeah... B-but this is just a bit intense," I say half truthfully.

He nods sympathetically and pulls up the television guide. "The only other movie channels we have are like, romantic comedies, so..."

"That'd be perfect... It's a nice break from the horror." In actuality, I just the genre, but Seth would no doubt tease me if I told him that.

Seth switches the TV onto a random film, it being a Christmas movie airing three months too early. It's already been airing for some time, so I'm lost on what the plot is, but it seems fairly standard so far. A calico cat is trying to run a Christmas fundraiser, but her boss is getting in the way, him being a stubborn falcon. My engagement in the film is minimal, but it's good background noise.

Instead, I'm focused on a male other than the movie's lead. I can't help but continue pressing up against Seth's frame as we lie together on the couch. I've noticed myself trying to get close to him a lot as of late. Whether that concerns me or not doesn't matter to me as much at this moment as relieving my stress by staying close to my brother.

"This is... a really boring film," Seth yawns.

"Yes..." I agree, "would you like to call it a night?"

"I was excited to watch some movies with you, but there's nothing on, so I guess we can just sleep." He sighs. "I don't want to get up, want to just sleep together on the couch?"

The offer makes my face feel a bit flush, and I nod agreeably. "Okay..."

Seth adjusts himself so he is lying down on the loveseat in a more comfortable position, letting me place my head on top of him. "Well, night I guess... Sorry if today was kind of lame."

"I had fun," I say nothing more than those three words, nuzzling up to the basenji.

"Alright, good to hear you clingy little pup," he chuckles at my attempts to get closer to him, not resisting at all and closing his eyes, drifting off as quickly as he always does.

I follow suit shortly after, but not before letting out a silent prayer.

Mother, father, if you are hearing this... I'm sorry you died instead of a useless dog like me... Please continue to watch over me.