The Secret Life of Pets Lost

Grief

"TIBERIUS!" Norman cried in anguish, dashing over to the road. Quickly, Chloe grabbed the guinea pig before he stepped onto the pavement as another car zoomed by the horrified group. Upset, Norman buried his face into the tabby's fur. Suddenly, Mel trotted out on the road. "Mel..." Buddy started speaking. However, the pug was soon back to safety. In his mouth, he carried the wheel and feather. Gingerly, he placed the wheel at Leonard's paws and gave the feather to Norman. "Now we can finish the journey with them," Mel explained when Buddy and Sweetpea stared at him in curiosity. Sobbing, Norman whispered, "But he promised me that he would always be there for me." His tears were beginning to soak Chloe's fur.

Padding over, Max piped up, "To be fair Norman, Tiberius will always be with you. In spirit and memory." Patting the guinea pig's little head, the small dog added, "Both of them will be with us." Hopping forward, Snowball announced, "Before we leave, I'd like to say a few words." The group immediately sat down around the rabbit.

Taking a deep breath, Snowball began his solemn speech, "Today, we mourn the loss of two valuable friends, Pops and Tiberius. Weeks ago, we hardly knew them. In some cases, we didn't even know that they existed. But when we first met them, we started assuming they were grouchy and old. However, now we know that they were much more than that. In my perspective, they were honest, kind, brave, helpful, and wise, right to the very end." Looking up towards the sky, the rabbit continued, "I know we're all sad, but we should keep in mind that they're both in a better place now, seeing old friends and family once more, waiting patiently for us to join them sometime soon."

Wiping away a tear, Leonard piped up, "Pops would always let me play my music as loud as possible." Smiling, Mel added, "And he invited us all to his Christmas party." Buddy and Sweetpea murmured an agreement. Sighing, Ozone spoke wistfully, "I would give anything just to be called 'Hairless' or be threatened about being tossed off a building." Snowball patted the cat on the back. "He promised me that I would have a feast when we returned home," Chloe recalled, a tear rolling down her cheek. "We had so much fun in the time we had together," Norman whispered, stroking the feather he held in his paws.

"Both Pops and Tiberius gave us good advice," Max reminded the group as he hugged Gidget. The Pomeranian spoke sadly, "I was probably the first best friend he had in years." Let's just get this over with, Duke told himself as he stated, "Tiberius was the only one who knew I was in love with Sky." A chorus of gasps rang out from the group. "Let us honor their memory as we journey back home," Snowball concluded after a bit of silence.

Just then, Max heard what sounded like a cry high above his head. "You know, I can still hear Pops' voice," Chloe remarked as everyone started hearing the noise. Suddenly, something crashed in the undergrowth behind the group. Curious, the pets stepped cautiously over to the source.