Chapter 15 Healing Paws

• It had been five years since the plane crash that took my family from me. Five years of waking up to an empty house, of silent dinners, and of nights filled with tears and memories. I had lost my husband, my two children, and a part of myself that day. The grief was a constant companion, a shadow that followed me everywhere. I had tried to move on, to find solace in work and friends, but nothing seemed to fill the void.
• One sunny afternoon, as I walked aimlessly through the streets of our small town, I found myself standing in front of a pet store. The sign above the door read “Paws and Claws.” I had never been inside before, but something drew me in that day. Maybe it was the cheerful barks and meows I could hear from outside, or perhaps it was the thought that I needed something, someone, to care for.
• As I stepped inside, the smell of pet food and the sound of playful animals greeted me. I wandered through the aisles, looking at the various pets. Cats, birds, hamsters, and then, in the corner, I saw the dogs. There were puppies of all shapes and sizes, wagging their tails and looking up at me with hopeful eyes. But one dog caught my attention. He was a small, scruffy terrier mix with big brown eyes that seemed to look right into my soul.