"Shsssh, Kaela. Listen! They're talking about getting a new puppy! I only left them such a short time ago, and they're already talking about replacing me! How could they forget me so fast?"

"Tasha, you silly redhead, who could forget you? All that food you stole from the counter, all the sox and underwear with tiny holes,...they'll be talking about you for years."

"I know, and I feel bad about all that. But didn't they love me in spite of it? Didn't I show them enough how much I loved them?"

"Think about it. Remember how they cried, couldn't sleep, lovingly stroked you after you'd crossed the Bridge? Of course they loved you, and knew their love was returned. That's why they want a new puppy, you goose. They realize how much your love meant to them, how much they need it. It's in your honor that they want to bring that love back into their lives. My mom and dad did the same thing."

Comforted by her friend's wisdom, Tasha curled up into a ball in the soft, green grass, sighed contentedly and nestled into her mom and dad's hearts. "Its okay, Mom," she thought. "I understand now."