Ruby quickly came to realize that Max was gone and wasn’t coming back. It wasn’t like other times when Max had to spend a few days at the vets. This time Ruby knew, like we already knew, that Max was gone for good. Whether she picked it up from us, or figured it out on her own, or some combination thereof, Ruby did know. She fell into an almost human-like depressed state, choosing to curl up in corners of the furniture or spots around the house. From time to time she’d hear other dogs barking and would lift her head expectantly. But she’d quickly figure out it wasn’t Max and put her head back down, her eyes going down into a half-lidded, almost introspective, state. As if she were remembering times past.

I can’t help but feel her loss in this photo.