The 13th of February. Again.

*****

All day on the 12th I had been telling Berry 

tomorrow is the anniversary of me adopting you and you adopting me. 

I started out this day telling him 

you and I are gonna spend every minute of this day together. 

I snuck out of the house at 3 PM to make a quick snowshoe trip up Coyote Hill

after giving him a quick hug and kiss, telling him

it's cold out and I want you to stay in the house with your sister. 

I leaned hard into the snowshoe'ing, not stopping on the ascent, 

feeling my muscles working the fresh powder. 

Just as I was heading downhill to the house, 

I heard Mister Jones on the deck, talking to Berry. 

Pretty soon, here came the little creature, running uphill toward me

through the deep surface powder. 

I picked him up and hugged him, and told him 

I love you and I am so glad you adopted me. 

He probably remembered that I told him

you and I are gonna spend every minute of this day together

and he was going to hold me to my word. 

*****