“Sandy, can you come and sit with us? We want to tell you something important.” Jenna took a deep breath and waited.
“Yeah, Mom.” Sandy ran from her bedroom.
Tiger was there in his bed. He looked smaller than he used to.
“What’s up?”
“It’s Tiger,” her mom began, partly hoping that Sandy already knew what she was going to say.
Sandy wrinkled her nose as she went closer to where Tiger was laying between her parents on the couch with towels under his bed. “Tiger,” she stroked the top of his head between his ears. That was his sweet spot. Tiger purred and sounded a tiny “Mew.”
“Tiger’s really sick,” she heard her dad say. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, he went to the vet a lot. He took medicine. Didn’t the medicine work?” She dropped her head and her voice now. Something was really wrong.
“No honey,” her mom said softly. “There’s no more medicine that can help Tiger now. It’s time for him to go to kitty heaven. We’re going to have to say our goodbyes to Tiger.”
Her eyes filled with tears, her nose started to run. She shook her head. “No, Mommy, no.” She turned to her dad and hid her face in his shoulder.
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay, Sandy.” Her dad held her body to his, like he was trying to shield her.
Sandy couldn’t think of her life without Tiger. He had always been there with her. She had noticed that he didn’t play as much now, but she thought he was still okay.
“Where is he going to go now? Will he live with someone else?” She felt that she was being punished. Tiger was being taken away from her.
“No, honey. He’s going to kitty heaven.” Her mom sounded helpless.
“You mean he’s going to be with the angels now? Like Tanya’s hamster Caramel?”
A little understanding? Her dad said, “Yes, he’ll be in heaven with Caramel.”
“But he’ll hunt Caramel, won’t he? Like he hunted the mice that got into the garage?” She rubbed her face against her dad’s shirt, feeling confused and sad. She peeked at Tiger again. He really did look sick. Had he been that sick when she left for school today? She couldn’t even remember if she noticed him today. Fresh tears spilled when she thought about how she hadn’t said anything to him.
“We think that in heaven he’ll get to do all the things he likes to do. Everyone gets along there,” her mom answered.
Sandy looked into her mother’s eyes. “How will he get there?”
“Dr. Segal will help him.” Her dad answered, wondering what other questions Sandy would ask.
Sandy saw her mom open her arms. She snuggled into her mother’s soft shirt, sniffing loudly. She enjoyed the feeling of her mom’s arms closing around her and rocking her gently. The moment caught up with Sandy. She fell asleep in her mother’s arms like she had when she was little.