Rating: PG13

Bron sat on the couch flipping through channels unable to find one thing to watch. His dog, Bozin Berry, a mutt of some kind, played on her back with an old toy. She chewed it and waved her paws in the air. A sneeze dislodged the toy. Bozin Berry bit at the air trying to play with a toy not there.

Six months ago the little dog had gotten out damn near stopping Bron’s heart. Berry ran across the street to the park and disappeared into a stand of trees. He searched and searched but  for over an hour he couldn’t find his Berry anywhere.

Bron was about to head for home to call in some reinforcements when a big, brawly looking man came strutting up the path with his white fluff-mutt cradled in his arms.

From then on Bayle, Berry, and himself were inseparable. He supposed they looked rather silly, two big, gym-bull men with a little white fluff ball for a dog but he didn’t care. Bron was the happiest he ever remembered being.

“If you keep that up you’ll break the remote.” Bayle’s voice drew his attention to where the man stood in the entry from the kitchen.

Bron shook his head. “You’d just buy me a new one.”

Bayle shrugged, “True.” He came into the living room and took his spot on the sofa next to Bron. His heat seeped through Bron’s clothing. “Wanna do dinner?”

Bron stood. “Date night!” He called to the house. “Date night Berry.” His dog hopped up with a yip and took off into the bedroom. “I think he should wear his bow-tie.” He tossed the remote onto the couch where Bayle sat laughing.

Bron was happy, ridiculously-deliriously happy.