The Sweetest Dream

Her head lay in Mommy’s lap, Mommy stroked her head. She always
loved it when Mommy stroked her hair and sang to her. She loved
the smell of Mommy. Sometimes she understood words Mommy used,
her favorite was “bright-eyes.” Mommy would kneel down next to
her and say “bright-eyes” while rubbing her head or when she
called her for a walk. Mommy would say other things but she knew
she was “bright-eyes.” It was her pack name, the name her Mommy
used only for her.

“I’m tired, Mommy, and it hurts,” she tried saying but knew that
Mommy did not understand but some how she knew. She tried to
take a deep breath but it hurt so much.

She felt another arm around her. It was Little Girl! She loved
to play with Little Girl, Emcee was her pack name. They would
run and run together in the wildflowers, through the wood, and
chase the birds in the field. She remembered how small Emcee was
when The Man brought her here. She was not impressed with Mommy
back then, she tried to laugh but it hurt. Mommy never licked
Emcee! How was Little Girl to keep clean if she was not properly
licked? So, when Mommy would bring Emcee outside and work in the
dirt and was not looking, she would lick Emcee clean.

Mommy was singing the Bright Eyes Song now and stroking her
head. Where was Big Girl? Where was Boy? She hated when the pack
was not together. She looked up at Mommy with fluid brown eyes,
“Where are they?” Mommy just bent down and kissed her head, she
smelled of flowers. She loved that smell. Then she remembered
that Big Girl and Boy had left the pack, they were grown. She
missed them.

What was that smell? She raised her head a bit. She knew the
smell, and loved it’s promise. It was of wood and small animals.
It was the smell of the chase. She found herself running,
running fast after a rabbit. “I’m going to catch it this time,
Mommy” and she was off through a never ending field of
wildflowers.

“Mommy?” “Yes, M-C, Mishka is living her sweetest dream.”