A young woman finds herself staring into eager eyes through chain-link fence. Beyond the hurt she finds a sense of promise and comfort. As she considers whether or not to commit to these eyes she can’t help but scan the rest of the room at all the other equally eager eyes. Some are only a little wounded. Some aren’t maimed at all. In fact, they’re perfectly healthy. They bark endlessly, crying and begging to be picked. Any of these contestants might make a suitable new member for her home. Yet, for whatever reason, her eyes kept coming back to the same handicapped pup.

She opened his cage, the first time anyone had, and spread her arms to welcome him. He was hesitant, wondering if it was too good to be true. It was clear he had been hurt before. As he made slow stuttered steps forward he began to breathe easier. Could this be it? Could this be what he had been waiting for?

On the car ride home all he could do was stir in the passenger seat. All he could do was stare at this angel who seemed to have been delivered down from heaven as his personal savior. The wind from the open window was everything he imagined it to be. He could smell things again. The world shimmered with a vibrancy he didn’t think he was capable of seeing.

The car pulled into a driveway of a beautiful home in a nice quiet neighborhood. From the street he could hear and smell barbeques and splashing off in the distance. Could this really be his new home? As he walked up to the front door, guided by his newfound savior, it took everything he had to hold back tears of hope and joy.

Once inside, he was greeted by a warm, excited, yet cautious family. The mothers’ smile was radiant; an echo of her daughters face that seemed nothing short of God himself exercising his love for creation and beauty. She soon became his favorite to relax with. But he also loved how lively and unpredictable she could be. Her father was oaky and charming, the perfect person to wrestle or unwind with. Together the two created a seemingly endless supply of delicious meals that brought everyone together despite whatever disagreements might have transpired over the course of the day. Her brother was young and subdued. It was in his room that one could spend hours in, silently and happily listening to music.

Time passed and this weather pup grew to learn the faces and storied of many a family member; crazy uncles, crazier ‘uncles’, hilarious aunts, talented cousins and friends. The only person he met that he didn’t take an immediate liking to was the old family dog. He pretended that it was because of how the dog must have been but the reality was that it made him think about his place in the family. It made him consider that this new and wonder life he had might be temporary.

Two years passed since that perfect day when some wonderful girl took a chance on a lonely mangy mutt. But as he became more acclimated to his lifestyle he became too comfortable in his position. He didn’t make the effort to greet everyone that came through the door anymore. He didn’t like going on walks as much. Yet somehow it came as a surprise to him when he was taken for a ride back to the same place he had been picked up so long ago.

At first he thought maybe it was a simple visit. But the look on her face revealed the true nature of that drive over. He scrambled and whimpered, desperate to convince her that he could change. But it was too late. Little did he know that her mind had been made up for a long time. As he was shoved back in to a cold steel cage his mind flooded with memories of the last time he had been there. He felt worse than he did then. He wished he had never been salvaged in the first place if he was only going to be dumped back here in two years time. In his mind he saw all of the mistakes he made and felt that he’d rather have had been put down than have to live with his regret. Amidst all of this breaking down he realized something. He no longer had her familiar scent filling his nose. Frantically he looked up and around, as far out of the cage as he could, but she was gone.

That day was a long time ago. Nowadays he finds himself wandering the streets at night, looking for scraps to pick up when he can. The nights get so cold on some days that his bones ache and protrude but he stays out anyway. He is happy just to feel anything. On one particular evening he scampered down a street in a nicer area than he would usually go, in hopes of finding quality trash to snack on, when he picked up on an old familiar smell. He followed the trail through town, sprinting so as not to lose the track. Finally, he found the source. There she was. Happy as she had ever looked, if not happier, with a leashed purebred panting away at her feet, drooling in ignorant content. His canine instincts told him to go over there and bark his throat sore but he thought better of it.

Instead, he sought shelter under a bridge. The rippling of the water soothed him and reminded him of her pool; summer days of play, barbeques, and fun. A time when he was loved. His heart ached and struggled to support the weight of his devastation. He sauntered to the waters’ edge and stared at his reflection; deep into his eyes. What used to be there that wasn’t anymore? Once upon a time she saw something in these eyes worth saving.

With a reserved sigh he exhaled a cloud of pale soul into the winter’s womb and stepped forward into the harbor. As he became fully submerged he thought of her and her kindness, of her family, and of those eyes that he’d never forget that seemed to say that everything would be alright; that his broken shattered past didn’t matter to her. He did this until he began to go numb. And with a final breath, he sank.