Chris pov...
I am home for a week now and we were struggling with Oscar... I had made a beautiful cross with him... We had painted it blue and together with Lana, he had beautifully decorated it. Bob's name in beautiful letters and little dogs and little hearts and rainbows surrounding it... But it didn't seem to help...
I was under no impression that giving the grave a cross would magically make it all alright but there was no sign he was getting even a little bit better... He was moody and refused to sleep in his own bed... We were compliant letting him sleep in our bed for a few days, but it was taking a toll on everyone's ability to get a good night sleep... Oscar is not a quiet sleeper and Lana and i woke up a few times a night being kicked and that in combination with his temper tantrums during the day was just exhausting... He didn't have to school because they had off for a week but come Monday, he had to go back and needed to be well rested...
Lana was not able to deal with her own emotions because Oscar was clinging to her like glue, and she kept her own emotions in to give Oscar room to grief... It resulted on her walking around like a bit of a zombie and i have had enough this was not healthy... I was going to sit Oscar down for a talk...
I had told Lana i would and she was also at her wits and agreed not knowing what else to do either... So, i told her to go to her office relax with her writing knowing she loved to get lost in the book she was writing...
"Oscar bud... Can you come here for a second?" I yelled to him as he was in his room with Dodger... Oscar walked in sulking Dodger glued to him and i dont know whether to smile at that fact of sigh at the fact that he was sulking... "Yes..." He said letting out a sigh as if i had asked him to do something terrible...
"Sit down please..." I said and he sat down on the couch annoyed... "Okay bud we need to have a little chat..." I said and he looked up... "Where is mom?" He said and i smiled. "She is working for a little bit in her office..." I said and he looked away...
"So, i wanted to talk about you sleeping in your own bed tonight..." I said and he started to protest but i held up my hand... "I am going to talk, and you are not going to interrupt and when i am done with saying what i want to say it is your turn and you can say what you want to say..." I said and he stayed quiet.
"Tonight, mom is going to bring you to your own bed... and she is going to read you a story and stay with you until you are asleep... But we all are going to sleep in our own beds..." I said and Oscar started to protest... "I dont want to sleep in my own bed... I want to sleep with you and mom..." He said on the verge of tears and i sighed sitting down next to him and wrapping him in my arms letting him cry for a little bit...
"Can you tell me why you absolutely dont want to sleep in your own bed..." I whisper and he stayed quiet for a second... "What if something happens to you or mom... I dont want you to die and leave me alone..." He said in a small voice and i took a deep breath not expecting that answer... "Oh bud..." I whispered holding him tight and kissing the top of his head... "Buddy... We are not going to die... Not for a long time... Bob was old... It was his time..." I whisper and Oscar pulled back wiping his tears and shook his head... "Bob was not old... He was only 14..." He said sobbing and i sighed... "Dogs age is different... When we have one birthday in a year a dog has 7 so for every time you get one-year older Bob got 7 years older... So, he was actually very old... 98 years in human years..." I said and Oscar looked at me... "98?" He whispered and i nodded...
"So, you and mom are not going to die?" He asks and i sigh... "Buddy i am not going to lie... One day your mom and i will die... Everyone does someday that is part of life... But i hope not for a long-time bud..." I say and Oscar hugs me tightly... "I love you dad..." He whispers and i freeze tears spring in my eyes... I know he loves me, but he never said it outright... "I love you to bud..." I whisper fighting my tears holding him as close as possible and he starts to struggle against me... "Dad you are squeezing me..." He says and i chuckle letting him go...
"So, are we okay with sleeping in your own bed tonight?" I ask... "Mom is going to stay with me until i am asleep..." He whispers and i smile and nod... "Yes..." I say and he nods... "Okay... I will sleep in my own bed..." He murmurs... "Listen if you wake up and feel sad you can always come to our room okay..." I say and he nods...
"Now what do you say we are going to take Dodger out for a walk..." I say smiling and Oscar nods... Dodger who heard the word walk jumps up and gets all excited and Oscar giggles and that makes my heart grow a few sizes...
While Oscar is getting ready to go outside i walk to Lana's office and smile when i find her asleep on the couch... I grab a blanket drape it over her and kiss her forehead... I leave her a note on her laptop that we are out for a walk... I dont want to wake her she needs her sleep...
I softly close her office door behind me and walk to the front door were Oscar and Dodger are waiting all ready to go... I put on my jacket and smile as Oscar runs out the door holding Dodgers leash as he runs with him...
