bear // phan - book one

epilogue

"d-daddy!" millie pranced into my office with her arms flailing.

"hey, cutie! how was school?" i stood up from my butt chair, accepting her hug.

"it was f-fun, but people were la-laughing at me," she responded shyly.

"oh, sweetheart, don't let them! your stutter will be completely gone one day!" truth is, her stutter continued to get worse.

"it is?" her eyes got wide with excitement.

"yes, just ask papa." i smiled at the six year old in front of me.

as if on cue, phil walked in with his sticker-covered laptop. "ask papa what?"

natalie turned to him, "will m-my s-stutter be gone o-one day?"

"well, mil, we can't be completely sure, but it will get better."

she nodded, her eye twitching a little.

"millie, do you want to make a video with me?"

—
kitten strolled through the house slowly. he was quite lonely these days, winnie was his best friend.

"kitten, here boy!" i attempted to get him excited, but he wasn't ready.

winnie had passed away a week ago, he was ten years old. me and phil have been married for seven years. we adopted millie five years ago, she was quite sad when winnie died.

kitten whimpered softly, pulling me out of my thoughts as he lay on the floor.

kitten is depressed.

i never thought dogs could develop depression, unfortunately, i'm wrong. he was diagnosed when phil and i took him to the vet because he wouldn't get up after winnie died.

i got off the couch and moved towards him. "hey bud, it's okay." i patted his head lightly.

i lay in front of him on the cold hardwood floor.

"listen, kitten." i whisper so millie can't hear me. "the doctors told me that you're depressed, and there's a chance that you won't live much longer." kitten sighed, he understood more than anyone could think a dog could. i felt my eyes tear up. "kitten, i want you try to pull through. you have to stand up and play, it's going to get better. you're barely seven. please try." he licked the tear off of my cheek. "but it's okay if you can't. i understand, just please know that you will always be my favorite meme." i smiled at kitten, and he rolled over. "good boy, kit—."

"daddy!" millie pounced down the stairs.

"millie, be careful!" kitten ran to meet her half way, causing me to chuckle.

millie slowed down and took each step. "are you finished with your homework, mil?"

"yes, p-papa helped me. i just w-wanted to tell y-you something!"

"go on," i opened my arms for her to sit with me.

"i made a-a friend!" she ran into my arms. "i drawing and she a-asked me w-why i kept saying f-flower!"

i smiled, thinking of the way i met phil. "and what did you say?"

"i told h-her i have tou-tourr-re-retts."

"what did she say?"

"she told m-me it looks like i-it hurts, b-but she wants t-to be my f-friend."

"mil, that's so sweet! what's her name?" i ask curiously.

"i can't s-say her name very w-well, daddy." she said slowly, "so i-i call her flower."

fin.