The Leaving - Part I

So, my brother-in-law had to run some errands before he and my sister left for Peru this afternoon. To soften the leaving fake-out, he gave Arthur a nubbly black ball that he'd bought just for the occasion. Then he left.

At first, Arthur was loving the new toy and chased it around, chewing on it. Then - and I swear I could see it happening - it sort of dawned on him that his dad had left the house. His smile faded and he just kind of sat there, suddenly not caring about the new squeaker. And then he was just sad. The ball rolled away, and he didn't even look at it.

Harsh.