And then one day
when you're feeling okay and 
you think it's all good
SASS!, it hits you. 
The grief
the sadness
the pain
and loss and fear 
of having to say 
Goodbye to one you love. 
One who was always by your side. 
One who gave you comfort when you didn't know you needed it.
One who smiled at you when you were having the worst day
or the best day
or any day. 
Years went by and you grew in love together, 
at least, you hoped they grew to love you like you did them. 
But they did 
Love you.
Because they were always there. 
Because they were always aware. 
Because they knew you. 
There was love everywhere in their face. 
Those eyes. 
That smile. 
Those cuddles and walks in the sun where you both chased life. 
There was love in every nap together
Every car ride with the windows rolled all the way down, 
hair flowing every which way, 
smiles from ear to ear. 
There was love in every breath. 
And now, 
as the time gets closer because some stupid illness takes over, 
you hold a little tighter
caress a little softer
remind them of how wonderful they were, 
and you hope they hear you. 
You hope they hear how much you love them 
and how much it hurts to think of 
naps without them
car rides alone
walks in the sun
without your best-friend. 
So you give them
one last kiss
one last embrace
and you thank them for showing you true love. 
And you say, Goodbye.