The Beloved

It’s an ordinary stoplight. Everyone waiting for permission to move on. And the blonde dog shivers, always nervous to ride in the car, even after an adventurous walk through the English Garden. The dog blinks his long eyelashes and pants as his owners pet him, encourage him to be brave. A small girl in the backseat of a neighboring car spots the dog. She crawls up to stand in the lap of her mother, nearer to the window, nearer to this fascinating creature. The girl has perfect dark curls–the dog luminous blonde fur. The girl leans against the window as the hands of her mother hold her steady, smiling at this act of independent curiosity. The girl never breaks her gaze from the dog, her smile beaming through the tinted glass. The dog never notices the girl, though his owners do. They wave, the tiny hand now waving back, as both cars roar away, parting the much-admired pair.

–Munich, Germany