Car Pool {c.h.}

1.3

we sat on the floor of the kitchen, sadness and silence. my fingers intertwined with calum's.

"it's going to be all right." he coos.

"i'll never see her again, how will things be all right?" he question the boy's words.

"trust me, you can only become happy after sadness."

i huff, throwing my face into my hands. i pick at a scab on my knee, where a hole in my jeans had formed. calum lifts my chin up with his fingers, smiling for only a moment.

"have you heard of the book, the ten good things about milo, or something?"

"no." i hum.

"well, it's about a child who loses their cat suddenly and the parents say to write the ten best things about the cat and so on." the raven haired boy explains to me. "you should do the same for zoe."

"all right." i say, standing up to get a writing utensil and paper. sitting down, i write the number one with a purple crayon.

"the first great thing about zoe emory was..." calum starts for me.

"she was the most amazing friend, when i fell ill with the flu, she kept me company and snuggled with me. which brings me to the second great thing about zoe emory, that is she is a lovely snuggler." i smile, remembering find memories.

"the third great thing about zoe emory is that she always welcomed everyone in the second they entered the door." calum adds, i nod.

"the forth great thing about zoe emory is that she always protected me. on our walks, she'd always look out for any one suspicious." i scribble all the words down in the purple crayon. "the fifth great thing about zoe had to be when she was a puppy and had gigantic paws that she always tripped over." a snicker left my mouth as i thought this.

"see esme, you are already feeling better." calum smiles, his eye crinkling up.

"i am." a sigh leaves my lips. "the sixth great thing about zoe emory had to be she loved watching movies with me, and would never argue over what i chose." examining my list so far, i was content. " the seventh great thing about my dear dog, zoe, was that she loved her treats, but she was picky about which kind." i paused, thinking of an eighth reason, "the eighth great thing about zoe was that she always helped. if i had lost something, she would always help me find it."

"i have the ninth great thing." cal pops in, reminding me he was still present and leaning over my shoulder as i wrote. his breath was hot on my neck.

"go ahead." i gesture my hand to the boy.

"write down every word as i go esme." he tells me, i place my hand up to the paper, prepared to write. "the ninth great thing about zoe emory was her beautiful, stunning, brilliant, whimsical, wonderful owner."

a blush creeps onto my cheeks as i write his words into the paper. in parentheses, i write his name.

"the tenth and last great thing about zoe emory is that she loved my dear boyfriend just as much as i do now." i small giggle escapes my lips as calum begins to blush as well.

"brilliant! a perfect list of ten great things about zoe!" calum claps his hands, reading over the words. standing up, my fingers grip my coat, swinging it over my shoulders. calum copies me, holding the door for my exit.

when arriving to the vet, zoe is a soft plush bed. whimpers slipt from you mouth. putting my noes to her snout, cal slips his hand into mine. I read out the ten great things of zoe emory, before the doctor comes in.

zoe softly nudges my hand, feeling my warmth and closing her eyes for the last time.