Cheryl & Liam: Devotion

Part Eighteen

Bark!

Cheryl looked up from where she was sitting on the floor against the front door, seeing her loyal little dog, Coco, coming towards her. A smile came across her dimpled face as the little black dog climbed into her lap, licking her cheek straight away before snuggling into her a bit, almost as if she knew her owner needed some comfort right now.

Cheryl hugged her dog close to her, kissing the top of her head before breathing out. Her sandy colored dog, Buster, rushed down to join them, immediately jumping into Cheryl's lap as well and snuggling into her.

"It's just us again guys – back to the three musketeers."

These dogs had seen the men walk in and out of Cheryl's life, and this time was no different. Jean-Bernard had just packed his bags and finally walked out of her life after a monumental fight they'd had, one that had ended with Cheryl finally standing her ground and screaming the words to him that she should have screamed months ago;

'I want a divorce!'

She shuddered slightly as her own voice rang in her head as she recalled the fight, almost as if she could hear how loud she had screamed in pure anger. The volume of her voice may have reflected how angry she had been upon returning home from the studio to her husband's fiery temper, but the words had come straight from her heart. She had been thinking about it for a while, but this had been the final straw. She was tired of being degraded, tired of being treated like a second-class citizen in her own home, tired of being accused of things she hadn't done, of being bullied about the way she spoke or the way she looked. She was tired.

'I want a divorce!'

She shuddered slightly again, but this was the right way to go. She had to end it once and for all, and now she was on her way to doing so.

She looked down at her dogs again, the two of them snuggled up in her arms as they looked up at her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at the two companions. Their loyalty had never faded; it had been the three of them for so long – almost like the three amigos. Cheryl had no idea what she would ever do without her two dogs, but even she knew that they were probably sick of seeing her end up in such heartbreaking situations repeatedly.

"I'll be alright again one day, guys; we just have to pick up the pieces yeah?" she whispered, nuzzling her nose against Coco's fur. The friendly little dog gave a little bark and licked her cheek, making Cheryl giggle slightly as she held them close.

"I'll be okay – I promise I'll be okay."

******

Sigh.

A sigh escaped her lips, another tear rolled down her cheek as she stood under the large tree in Liam's back garden. Little Bear was on her hip wedged under one arm, Buster was wedged under her other arm, Parker was wedged under one of Liam's arms, and Watson was leaning slightly against her legs. In his other hand, Liam holding the purple colored urn that held the ashes of her beloved Coco, whom had sadly passed away a few days earlier just a couple days after Liam had returned home from a work trip. Cheryl had known a couple weeks earlier that she probably wouldn't have Coco with her much longer, as the sweet little dog was quite old and had been sick for a while. The veterinarian had told Cheryl that there wasn't anything they could do, and the best she could do was keep Coco as comfortable as possible.

Still, nothing could have prepared her for the day the little dog had closed her eyes for the final time, and nothing at all could've prepared her for the day she was actually burying her beloved dog.