“But she hates Rex. What if you take him back and she kicked him again? You don't actually believe she's gonna treat him as well as she used to, do you? Or you just don’t care about Rex and me anymore?” Eileen pouted.
“If course not, it’s just-”
“Look at him, Dale! Rex has been hiding for the past two days. He barks at me every time I try to touch him. She traumatized him.” Eileen argued so strongly that they both fell silent.
“You're not taking Rex anywhere unless she writes on a pledge.”
Dale knew that I had a bad temper and he understood that it was highly unusual for me to stoop so low as to admit fault. How could I possibly have written an apology letter for the dog that took my child's life? It felt like an impossible task, grappling with the unimaginable grief and the conflicting emotions of guilt and anger that consumed me. Each attempt to even consider such a gesture felt like reopening a wound that would never heal.
“Look, you're not giving Harper a hard time. Right now, you're giving me a hard time.” He tried to convince Eileen. He proceed, "If Harper is really angry and doesn't want him, how could she possibly have taken good care of Rex all this time? We can't leave him alone at home. Or do you think we have to give him away? If we give him to someone else, are you sure he'll be well cared for and get enough food? She takes better care of Rex than both of us do.”
It was true. Since the dog came to our house, he was treated like a king. He always got the first bite of meat from the table. We walked around the place where he was lying down. The imported canned food he enjoyed cost more than a meal for us and all these expenses came out of my own pocket. It was a clear expression of love—both Dale and I adored him and we treated him as part of our family.
As for Eileen, she was a regular at nightclubs, often sharing images of her indulging in food, drinks and leisure activities. She rarely spent time at home. How could she be expected to provide proper care for Rex? Yet, she still found reasons to pout.
“But your wife is too tough on him. She's kept him in a cage and it's really affecting his mood. You can take him back, but you'll need to promise me that she won't put him in a cage. Otherwise, he's staying put.”