a falling through

It ached to leave, a visceral pain that lanced to her core, but her mind was made. To leave them was a terrible thing, as she had come to love each in the short time they had been together. Situations such as theirs make fast friends.

The return of affection, desperately needed, draws a thin whine from her throat. It chokes, aborted with the threat of tears, at his words. She had been a good dog, she was a good dog. This simultaneously weakened and strengthened her resolve. A good dog would do what is best for them all, and so she straightened up, looking at him with a tired determination. "Thank you. You should return to them now."