Buster Bear

Til tiptoes into the room. “Hey Jamie?” she whispers.

“Hmm?”

“I just wanted to check… How much longer will Buster be staying with us?” she asks. She makes sure that he is still asleep in the hallway, then looks back at me.

“I dunno. Until he goes, I guess,” I reply.

“Yes, but when will that be? Only, you said this was just temporary but that was 3 weeks ago,” she says, a trifle anxiously.

“Well, we’re fostering him. So he’ll be here until someone adopts him. Could be another few weeks, maybe months, or even years,” I explain with a shrug.

She lets out a little bark of distress. “Years!”

Buster suddenly snorts in his sleep and snuffles in his blankets. Til freezes in silence until he resumes snoring.

“Years!” she repeats in a strained whisper.

I am a little surprised. I thought that they had been getting along fine.

She agrees, mostly. She likes that Buster doesn’t hog her bed and that he always gives her little kisses. Which is kinda nice, even though she thinks that his breath smells a bit. And she supposes that living with us is much better than languishing in the pound because his owner had to move to a retirement home.

“So what’s the problem then?” I ask.

It all comes out in a rush. He always steals her toys right when she’s playing with them. He doesn’t take no for an answer when he wants to wrestle. He leaves her ears and forelegs all soggy and messy after playing. He farts in his sleep. He jumps onto the couch when we’re not around, and he ignores her when she reminds him that he is breaking the rules.

“I tell him that he’s a Bad Dog,” she says earnestly.

But worst of all… She looks down at her paws as she says this. Worst of all, she doesn’t get as many cuddles now because he always pushes in. Maybe I love him more?

“Oh, Tillybilly!” My heart breaks a little. I kiss her sorrowful, furry head. “I’m sorry that it has been difficult for you. You have been very generous and patient though, and I’m very proud of you.” I give her a big hug. “You’ll always be my #1,” I reassure her. She thumps her tail happily and licks me.

There is a jingle of dog tags, and Buster runs into the room. “Is it Cuddle Time?” he asks excitedly.

Til throws me a pained look.