Love stayed where you were

 Love stayed where you were.

Long after your paws stopped crossing the floor...

Long after your bed became neatly tucked into the corner.

Long after your bowl was washed and placed inside the cabinet because I couldn't bear to see it sitting there empty.

Love never packed its things.

It never followed you away.

It stayed behind...

In every room you once filled.

Some mornings, I walk into the living room and the sunlight falls across the floor exactly where you used to stretch after breakfast. My heart still expects to see your sleepy eyes blink open, your tail thump twice against the floor, and that familiar look that said, "Good morning... I'm right here."

Instead...

There is only stillness.

But somehow, it doesn't feel completely empty.

Because love has settled into the quiet.

It's in the blanket that still carries a few strands of your fur.

It's in the scratch marks by the back door where you waited so patiently to go outside.

It's in the leash hanging by the entryway that no one has touched.

It's even in the air.

I swear some evenings I can almost catch the scent of your warm coat after we'd come home from a long walk together.

People think grief is only about missing someone.

I don't think that's true.

Grief is love...

Looking for somewhere to go after the one it belonged to has gone beyond our reach.

That's why my heart still talks to you.

That's why I still smile when I say your name.

That's why tears sometimes arrive without warning when I hear a collar jingle in another neighborhood or see a dog running through autumn leaves.

Love recognizes itself.

Even when the one you love is no longer beside you.

I often imagine you now.

Your legs strong again.

Your eyes bright.

Running freely through endless meadows beneath a sky painted with soft colors only Heaven could create.

No pain.

No fear.

No slow steps.

Only joy.

Only freedom.

Only the happiest version of you waiting just beyond the Rainbow Bridge.

Maybe every sunset is your way of reminding me you're still close.

Maybe every feather that lands quietly at my feet carries a little piece of your peace.

Maybe every star that seems brighter than the rest is simply you saying...

"I'm still loving you from here."

And when I finally close my eyes for the very last time...

I don't believe I'll be walking into a place that feels unfamiliar.

I believe I'll be walking back into your love.

I'll hear your paws racing toward me.

I'll feel your head press gently against my hands.

We'll pick up right where we left off...

As if goodbye had only been a moment.

Until then...

Love will stay where you were.

Because the places you filled with your heart could never forget you.

And neither will mine.