The Morning Walk To The Stop
The young woman pushed open her white front door and stepped onto the porch with a golden retriever trotting beside her. She clipped a black leash to his blue collar and guided him down the sunny neighborhood sidewalk.
Her sweater caught the morning light as she kept a brisk pace past the manicured lawns. The dog trotted closely at her heels, his tail swishing steadily across the pavement.
When they reached the glass-sheltered bus stop at the corner, the large white transit bus was already pulling up to the curb. She crouched down, cup of both hands cradling the dog’s golden muzzle.
She whispered a quick goodbye against his fur before stepping through the folding doors of the bus. The doors hissed shut, and the vehicle pulled away into traffic.
Seasons Change On The Wooden Bench
The dog did not walk back down the street toward the house. Instead, he turned around and sat down squarely beside the wooden bench under the transit canopy.
Cars whizzed past as the afternoon sun dipped behind the rooftops, painting the sky in deep shades of orange and purple. The streetlights flickered on, casting yellow circles onto the dark asphalt, yet the golden retriever stayed upright on the curb.
A passing woman carrying a paper grocery bag stopped near the curb and set down a bowl of fresh food. Later, a young man paused under the streetlight to fill a metal water dish on the pavement.
The green summer leaves turned brittle and brown, swirling across the sidewalk in cold autumn gusts. Rain pelted the shelter roof while the dog remained parked by the curb, his coat damp against the chilly air.
Soon, a layer of white frost coated the wooden slats of the bench. An older woman wrapped in a thick winter coat walked over and rubbed the retriever’s ears, while a teenage girl placed a folded gray woolen blanket across the cold bench seat behind him.
A Car Doors Opens In The Snow
A gray sedan slowed down along the snow-dusted street and pulled up directly in front of the transit shelter. The dog stood up from the curb, his ears perking toward the vehicle.
The driver-side door swung open into the cold air. The young woman emerged, placing two metal forearm crutches onto the frosted leaves covering the sidewalk.
Tears welled in her eyes as she leaned forward on the crutch grips. The dog took two quick steps, lifting his front paws gently against her waist as his tail swept back and forth.
She pressed her forehead against the dog’s soft cheek, resting her weight onto the crutch handles while letting him press against her coat.
She adjusted the forearm cuffs of her crutches and took a careful step forward along the icy path. The golden retriever matched her slow pace, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her as they headed together toward the front porch with the hanging flag.
Know someone who appreciates the unconditional loyalty of a dog? Send this to them today.
