The Golden Rule 2: The One That Got Away

Mariana

" I don't believe in paradise, " Ari said glumly as she folded her legs and wrapped her arms around them.

" It's just like heaven, " Marco said looking down at her from where he was standing.

Ari rested her cheek on her knees and sighed. " I don't believe in heaven either. "

Marco watched Ari heave another broken sigh and he couldn't help but feel her loss.

Rusty, her seven year golden retriever died two days ago and she'd been mourning the loss of her furry friend.

Marco took the empty space beside her underneath the old tree in Ari's backyard and lightly nudged her with his shouders.

" Wether you believe in paradise or not, " Marco said as he looked at her seriously. " I'm sure Rusty's in a better place now. And that's a good thing, right? "

Not lifting her head from her knees, she eyed him sadly. " Yeah, i guess so. "

" I know you miss him, " Marco said slowly holding her gaze. " But if he could see you now and can actually speak, he'd probably tell you to stop mourning him and have fun. "

Ari just stared at him, unmoved.

" Did you ever have a dog, Marc? " Ari asked after a moment. " Or any pet at all? "

Marco shook his head.

" I don't think I can be in charge of anything that breathes, " he joked.

" Then you don't know what it's like, " Ari said in a forlorn voice, clearly not in the mood to indulge his jokes.

Marco softly sighed when he finally realized the depths of his friend's sadness.

As far as he knew, Rusty has been with Ari for practically half her life. And Marco guessed he was Ari's first friend and held an important part in her life.

" My sisters had a dog before, " he said after a while. " He used to come into my room and I used to shoo him out. That dog was like a member of the family, he's everywhere we go, except for school because it's not allowed. But everywhere! The beach, the park and even in some of our gatherings. "

Ari perked up at his revelation and looked at him curiously, " What happened to him? "

Marco unconsciously started pulling on the grass. " He died five years ago. Ran over by the neighbor's car. "

" Oh that's horrible, " Ari exclaimed as she finally lifted her head off her knees and looked at him with a perplexed expression on her face.

" My sisters were devastated. Iza mourned him for days. Mia cried for weeks, " Marco grimaced at the memory. " The weird thing was, I actually missed that dog. When we buried him in our backyard, I remember crying along with my sisters. "

Ari furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him guiltily. " I'm sorry. I didn't know. "

Marco mustered a smile and waved his hand dismissively. " Nah, It was a long time ago. "

Ari sighed and slumped her shoulders. " I just feel like I've lost a member of my family when Rusty died, "

She lowered her eyes to the ground and mumbled quietly, " He has been with me all these years. He's like my best friend. "

Marco gently nudged her with his shoulders.

" If he is, then what do you take me for? " He teased her, hoping to lighten the mood.