Interlude: Solidarity

when we got boscoe, he was a black-and-white puppy. his legs were black down to the knees, and he wore white socks. he had no spots.

he grew into a black and white dog, with legs that were black down to the knees. he still wore white socks.

when boscoe was about five or six years old, we got riley. a difficult dog. a dog that needed to be loved, a dog that needed to fit in. a dog that needed a family.


we got riley because boscoe needed a puppy. he needed a friend. toby had died, and boscoe had been very, very bonded with toby. even though he was only five (or six), he started acting like an old dog. he went on walks, but dutifully, not joyfully. he slept a lot. he didn't seem unhappy, though i think that was what it was; he just seemed old.

riley was also a black-and-white puppy who grew into a black-and-white dog. but his legs, unlike boscoe's, were speckled all over. we named him riley because that's exactly what he did--he riled the place up. boscoe had no more time to mope; he had things to teach the new guy! games to play! puffy toys to steal and demolish! riley was difficult for us for many reasons, but he was exactly what boscoe needed.

about a year after riley joined the family, we noticed something new about boscoe. he had grown a speckle. just one: a large, almost round, white spot in the middle of the black on his left front leg.

it was perfectly clear to us what this meant: he grew it in solidarity of riley. to show that they were brothers.

family, baby, boscoe said. that's what it's all about.