too. I knew that right now they didn’t even come close to the family I had lost, but I still wanted them to stay with me. I knew I didn’t deserve it, but I just... I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted what the old lady had said earlier to be true. I didn’t want these people to leave me. As we rounded the corner, the police station coming into sight, my heart started pounding. The guilt from what I had tried to do last night and what had happened to my brother was eating away at me. I just needed to keep looking at the flower. I felt like it would be okay if I could just keep my eyes on the flower. Brutus must have sensed how nervous I was getting because he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze with his huge hand. I’m not sure why that helped, but it did. My heart still beat heavy, but it slowed a little. I decided to look up from the flower again, just for a little bit. We had just reached the stairs of the precinct. I could tell the little guy wasn’t the biggest fan of police officers. I’m pretty sure he actually growled at one that we passed on the steps. That was until the lady on my arm used her free hand to whack him upside the head. I almost laughed at that. Almost. “Ready?” Brutus asked as we reached the door at the top of the steps. I looked up at his kind eyes and felt reassured. As long as these three were with me, I would be okay. Somehow, I knew that was true. I nodded twice before returning my eyes to the flower in my hand. Slowly we walked through the doors, my new friends never leaving my side, and my eyes never leaving that beautiful purple hyacinth. R Page 95
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