1066 All Stars

Daisy knew something was wrong. When the teacher asked her to leave the room and follow her to reception, her tummy felt all knotted up and her legs felt like jelly. Then she saw her mum.

Daisy didn't remember the details. As she sat in the car looking out of the window, all she could remember was that he was dead. Something about a car, and he was dead.

Diddles had been more than just a dog, he had been her best friend. They would play together everywhere. Her favourite game was to throw sticks in the park and watch Diddles run and get them.

They would eat their dinner together too. Diddles wasn't allowed at the table but Daisy would sneak her stinky green vegetables under the table cloth and Diddles would lick them out of her hand.

Later that night, Dad had sat Daisy down and explained everything to her. He had been running across the road and a car had hit him. He had died. He was up in doggy heaven now, looking down on Daisy and chasing rabbits in the field.

Mum and Dad kept asking her if she was alright. 'It's okay to cry sweetie,' mum had said.

'I know,' said Daisy. But she didn't. Not when her mum told her at school. Not when dad told her about doggy heaven. Not when mum packed away his bowl and blanket.

Over the next few days, mum and dad kept asking if she was okay, if she wanted to cry. When Daisy said no again, dad asked her, 'Do you understand what has happened?'

'Yes daddy,' said Daisy. 'Diddles has died.'

'And how do you feel about that?' asked dad.

Daisy shrugged. 'I don't know.'

'It's okay to cry,' said dad again.

'I know.'

***

It was two weeks later when mum noticed the picture was missing. She was cleaning the front room and it took her a moment before she realised something wasn't quite right. Then it hit her; the picture of Diddles wasn't on the windowsill any more. She looked behind the curtain, behind the sofa and even behind the television but she just couldn't find it. All she could see was a small shard of glass on the floor below where the picture had been.

'What are you looking for mummy?' asked Daisy as she walked into the room.

'Your favourite picture of Diddles is missing, the one where you are playing in the garden. Have you seen it?'

'No mummy,' said Daisy quickly, before running off upstairs and closing her door.

She climbed up onto her bed and lifted up her pillow to pick up the photo frame she had hidden there. The glass had cracked when she had dropped the frame trying to look at the picture. She sat there, staring so hard at the photo that she didn't hear the door open.

'It's okay to miss him, Daisy,' said mum as she came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to Daisy. 'I miss him too.'

Daisy looked up at mum. 'You do?'

'Yes, all the time. And it makes me very sad.'

'It does?'

'Yes of course it does, sweetie. Does it make you sad too?'

Daisy looked away, back to the picture.

'It's okay to be sad Daisy,' said mum.

'But it's too late to cry,' said Daisy.

'Oh sweetie, it's never too late to cry.'

And finally, as she sat with mum looking at the picture of Diddles, Daisy began to cry.

***

The next day, Daisy and mum went to the shop and bought a new frame for the photo. Daisy placed it carefully back onto the windowsill.

She was still looking at the photo an hour later when dad came home from work. He picked her up and kissed her head.

'You okay, sweetie?'

'Yes daddy,' said Daisy. 'But I miss Diddles and it makes me sad.'

Dad smiled. He reached up and wiped a small tear away from the corner of his eye. 'Me too sweetie, me too.'