Page 84 of The Art of Dying

“I just miss him,” I said.

She hugged me to her side. “I know.”

“Mommy!” Dylan said, covering his mouth after he screamed.

Apple was running as fast as her tiny legs would carry her, a full-grown mastiff closing in.

I ran after Apple, my brain not catching up with my legs until I was nearly on top of them. I screamed at the mastiff, feeling like a crazy person as I waved my arms. The mastiff jumped back and then hesitated, distracted by the twenty-something college kid calling to him, leash in hand.

“Bear, no! Bear, come!” the kid yelled, jerking his neck to move the hair from his eyes. “He won’t bite! He just wants to play!”

I scooped up Apple, drawing Bear’s attention again. He started to come at the terrified pup in my arms, but to my horror, Dylan began running toward us.

“Leave my mommy alone!” he yelled.

The mastiff leaned his head down, his paws flat on the ground in front of him and then he leapt forward at my son.

“No!” I yelled.

A shrill whistle filled the air, and from the far corner of the park, Apollo came running at full speed, reaching Dylan within seconds and knocking him down. Just as the mastiff reached them both, Apollo was standing between my son and his assailant, snarling his teeth, the hair on his scruff standing up. Apollo was using every bit of his body language to let the mastiff know he was seconds from death.

I jogged up behind Dylan, sweeping my free arm and scooping him up, then quickly returned to Gina and the stroller, seeing Apollo in my peripheral, slowly herding the mastiff away from us.

“Secure your dog, now, or he’s going to die,” Gina said, calm but firm, to the owner as he approached.

“Bear! Bear!” the kid yelled, grabbing him. He finally clipped the leash on Bear’s collar and pulled, but this seemed to only make the dog more defensive.

Bear lunged at Apollo.

“Aw, shit,” Gina said, crossing her arms. “Let go of the leash!”

The dogs scuffled for a few seconds before the mastiff ran away in the opposite direction, tucking his tail and yelping.

The kid watched his dog retreat and then let his hands fall to his thighs. “I’m so sorry.”

I put Dylan down, running my hands over his hair. “You okay?” I asked.

Dylan nodded, his finger in his mouth.

“Next time, you let Mommy handle it, okay?”

“I had to protect you. Like Daddy.”

I choked back tears while forcing a smile. “You are so brave.Justlike Daddy. But I promised him I’d keep you safe. That’s my promise to keep. When you’re older, you can make that promise, okay?”

“To Daddy?” he asked, his expression hopeful.

I pressed my lips together, sympathetic. He was desperate to see Kitsch. “Remember what we talked about?” I combed my fingers through his hair.

He nodded, deflated. “Okay.”

“Stay,” Gina commanded Apollo. He sat, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted and smiled. She looked to the mastiff’s owner. “This is the small dog park.”

“I know, but I saw your dog in here, so I thought…”

“My dog is trained.”

“Right… right… I’m so sorry,” he said again.

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