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84 On Our Dog’s Birthday Throughout฀the฀day, he’ll฀press฀his฀wet฀nose against฀the฀floor-to-ceiling window฀and฀watch฀anything that฀passes฀by,฀now฀and then฀falling฀asleep.฀When the฀cats฀come฀in,฀they’ll nuzzle฀their฀cold฀faces against฀the฀soft฀warmth of฀his฀forehead.฀We’ll also฀look฀into฀the฀day, watch฀the฀thick฀gray beech฀trees’฀branches sway฀in฀the฀coming winter฀storm.฀Today our฀dog฀is฀ten.฀When we฀go฀to฀another฀room, he’ll฀follow.฀When฀later we฀take฀our฀walk,฀he฀will wander฀off฀after฀smells he฀finds฀along฀the฀way. After฀we฀return,฀if฀I฀toss his฀ragged฀stuffed฀lion, he’ll฀look฀at฀me,฀seem to฀want฀to฀say,฀“You don’t฀have฀to฀play฀with฀me. I’m฀fine,”฀then฀mosey over฀and฀take฀the฀toy 85 back฀to฀his฀spot.฀Tonight, if฀he฀needs฀to฀go฀out,฀he will฀sit฀by฀the฀side฀of฀the฀bed, my฀wife฀and฀I฀sleeping฀deep in฀our฀marriage,฀and฀woof softly,฀clear฀his฀throat, as฀if฀he฀doesn’t฀want฀to฀be฀a฀bother. ...

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