from the large window. Cautious as notto distur’ her, I moved my arms out of the ‘way as my mom placed our increasingly weak dog down upon my lap. I'm not really C Iewas about mid-afternoon. The couch upon which Isat was stil bathed in sunlight sure why L was nervous. Ie was just Jessie, the same dog t'd been living with in ohy lw eS [iste Be tina yrs Tenant ey eens ae Jessie and {hadn't exactly been fee of conflict. 'd never liked Jessie nd she'd never , Uked me One of my frst memories her involves me iyingon the floor, face to face / Vw" ch) ‘with the whit, shaggy creature, teasing her unt she eventually bit merrighton the —.©¢{ lip still have tat sear. I remember her always barking a each and every car that ~'"\-s° drove by ourhouse, prompting me to yellat her to shut up, prompting my mamto yellatme to stop yelling atthe dogto shut up, prompting even more barking. Coparallel strc oot impact) Pee Neatly esti 2 @ ~ | don't remember much about Jessie. She was one of the first pets of ours that | (have some recollection of, butt’ foggy. We'd already made our silent pact to ignore {one another long before my earliest memories. The cats and I would mind our own \\ business while Jessie would follow my mom around the house, sticking as close as |) Possible to her ankles in what seemed tbe an atemptto avold contact with any ‘other living creatures. I was always a litte bit jealous of my mom's relationship with ») Jessie for some reason. guess just wanted something to care about me so much ‘that it would folow me around everywhere | went. As much as | love cats, they don't /- |<. exactly satisfy that criteria. To me though, Jessie was never anything more than a ~ stati side character in my ife. Years passed, people changed, but J justas uncaringas ever. [ guess I found her unwavering disposition Comforting ‘somehow, because when she did change, I siiddenly found myself caring about he