From Your Old Friend
After my husband died, every day felt like an uphill climb. One cold afternoon, Liam and I left the grocery store and saw a man sitting in the parking lot, wrapped in a blanket with a shivering dog beside him.
When he approached, his voice trembled. “Would you take my dog? Her name’s Daisy. I can’t care for her anymore.”
I almost said no — until Liam whispered, “Mom, please. She needs us.”
That night, Daisy came home. Liam bathed her and fell asleep with her curled beside him. For the first time in months, our house felt warm again.
Weeks later, an envelope appeared in our mailbox: From your old friend.
Inside was a letter for Liam:
“Dear Liam,
If you’re reading this, Daisy is safe. I once had a boy like you, but I lost him. Daisy was all I had left. When I saw you, I knew she’d found her new boy.
Take care of her — she’ll take care of you too.
Your old friend.”
Tears blurred the words. Watching Liam and Daisy together, I realized — after so much loss, life had given us something back.
