I sneeze. I sneeze again. I'm outside and something is making me sneeze. There are flowers everywhere. I can smell hundreds of them. The sun is out and it's warm against my fur. There aren't many leaves on the ground as there used to be. There are flowers and grass and birds. I chase the birds around and they fly away. I bark at them and it's fun! I wish my owner would join me. 

There's a little table outside now. There are two chairs with it. My owner sits at the table and the woman sits with him. She's here a lot. My owner always seems happier with her. And that makes me happy! 

They talk at the table while I chase birds. They talk while I dig holes. They talk while I make a mess and kick up dirt behind me. The woman pets me and gives me treats and doesn't send me away when I put my paws on her legs. She smells just like the flowers and she doesn't make me sneeze. I love her and my owner loves her. 

**********

"I'm sorry, buddy. Tour's back on for a bit."

My owner pets me and scratches my head. My tail swishes back and forth on the floor. 

"Linda will be here to watch ya' till I get back. Think he likes it better at home."

"We'll miss you, love."

"I'll miss you too." My human kisses the woman and hugs her. He pets her fur. I watch them and tilt my head. I follow my owner to the door and he leaves, closing it behind him. I race to the window and look outside. He gets into a car and drives away. 

There must be a mistake. 

I look back at the woman who stands by the window with me. She strokes my fur. "He'll be back, Charlie."

I wait for the car to come back. The car has to come back. It came back last time, it will come back again. My human will come back. And I'll be here when he does. I don't whine. I won't whine yet. I'll chew instead. I sit down and chew on my paws. I lick them. They taste like dirt. The woman doesn't leave. She stays with me. I like her. 

The man will come back. 

**********

I whine. I stand at the window and wait. My nose twitches and my ears flop around. I scratch a few itches and sniff my paw. The woman lets me sleep in the bed with her. She keeps me company. I love her. But I love my owner too and I want him to come back. He must come back! He hasn't left me for good! He wouldn't! 

The woman feeds me and makes sure my water is fresh. She takes me outside. She takes me on walks. She lets me sniff around and doesn't let me chase animals. She gives me a bone. It smells wonderful. I drool everywhere and snatch the bone from her hand and limp away. I take it with me under the table and chew it like crazy. My teeth scratch and click and grow sharp. I growl and grumble. This is my bone. I'll carve things into it. I'll carve my name. Then everyone will know it's mine and they won't dare take it from me.

**********

The woman talks on the telephone a lot. She smiles those silly smiles and water comes out her eyes. I've never seen water come out of eyes before. Water doesn't come out of mine. Water comes out my mouth and my nose and other spots but never my eyes. She laughs and more water comes out. She kneels to the floor and pets me. I wag my tail and lick. I accidentally lick the telephone. I'm so close to it I can hear something. I tilt my head. I hear a voice come out of it. A human voice. 

It's mine! It's my human! 

I stare at the phone in her hand and wag like crazy! It's him! It's him! It's the man I love so much! The woman laughs at me and says something. "I think he hears you."

"Put him on for me, will ya'?"

The woman lets me sniff the phone in her hand. I sniff and sniff. I smell him but it's faint. He hasn't been here for a while. I wonder how he got inside of this thing. That must be him, right? 

"Charlie, can ya' hear me?"

I freeze. My tail freezes. I hear him! That's my human! That's my owner!! I bark! I must bark as loud as I can! The woman laughs and wipes away the water. 

"Atta boy, be good for me an' be good to Linda, alright?"

I bark and spin at the sound of his voice! Energy flows through my muscles and bones and I must run! I must run and jump! I speed through the house as fast as I can! I spin in circles! I jump on the couch and knock all the pillows over! I jump off and lose my balance on the floor! My paws slide and my nails scrape and I start running again! I run everywhere! I am speed, I am strength! I am unstoppable! I crash into things and things fall around me! I don't have time to stop! I must run!!!!!

**********

I lie on the floor on my side. No more running. Only sleep. Only rest. The very thought of running makes my muscles ache. I must lie here forever. I'm never leaving this floor. I'm never getting up. The humans will carry me wherever I need to be. I just relax.

**********

It's hot. The sun burns my fur and my skin. But I barely notice. My owner is here! He came back!! I crawl on my belly and show it to him! I let him pet me and scratch me and speak to me! My tail strikes against his leg and I pant! 

He picks the woman up and hugs her. She laughs and squeals. They kiss a lot and I get up from the floor. I follow them around. We will never let the man out of our sight, me and the woman. We're a family! We're a pack! This is my pack and I will do anything to protect it! I'll use my teeth if I have to! They're strong! I've grown new ones and they're bigger! My jaw feels like it could rip anything apart! And I'll use them to protect my pack! Just try me! 

**********

"Happy birthday, Charlie!"

Everyone is giving me lots of attention. My humans and their friends all pet me and give me treats. I love it! I love treats! This is so much fun!! 

"Can't believe he's a year old...."

"He's done growin', though, right?"

I run from human to human wagging my tail. I pant like crazy and slobber drips everywhere. I have a whole new collection of toys! I don't know which one to play with! Balls and rope! Bones and flying things! Things that honk and squeak! I want all of them in my mouth at once! I'm overcome with joy! 

"He'll be sleepin' good tonight, Mal."

"I hope so."

I pick a toy at random and jump onto my owner's lap. He smiles and pets me and kisses my head. I'd lick him if I didn't have this toy in my mouth. I refuse to drop it. Someone might take it! Someone does take it! I tighten my hold, my jaw strong! My teeth dig into my toy! The human with the wild fur shakes it around and I shake around with it. I refuse to let him have it! Get your own! I growl and maintain my hold. The humans laugh and I wag my tail. I feel the toy slipping from my mouth and I clench my teeth harder. 

"My money's on you, Bon."

"Ya' sure about that? He's fuckin' strong for a little guy!"

"Little, he's a full grown dog!"

"An' you're a full grown man, Mal, you're still little."

I won't let this man have my toy! I will win! Maybe if I growl harder he'll let go! I growl with all my strength! I wag my tail as hard as I can! I slip and almost lose my balance and fall to the floor. I hope my owner is watching and sees what a big and tough dog I am! He'll be so proud! 

"Get him, Charlie, my money's on you!"

"Fuck! Charlie, you're crushin' the goods!"

I hear the humans laugh and I finally wrench my toy from the man's hand. I did it! I won! Take that! I sit down on my owner's lap and chew on my prize. My rumps hangs off his legs and rests on the couch. I'm much bigger than I was. And I'm powerful. I'm a dog! The man who took my toy watches me and smiles. He gives me a treat and I snatch that too. What a great day this has been!