Loyalty

Most people looked at my behavior with quiet condescension.

But while it might have seemed unimportant to others, Higgins was more than just a dog. He was a member of my family. He was my best friend.

The animal shelters couldn't help. The police scoffed. People I previously counted as friends suddenly had "things to do."

While wondering the streets, putting up posters, I met Barbara. A complete stranger, she listened to my pathetic tale and agreed to help me search. A year later, we were married.

Even today, I would trade twenty years of marriage to have Higgins back.