Alvin's Back Up

I have been missing Timmie terribly lately.  I often feel physical pain when missing him, particularly at night.  This means that I need the comfort of a dog sleeping with me at night.  Stevie used to be a predictable bed buddy but she has started to enjoy lying in the back doorway and sniffing the air.  This leaves Alvin to take on bed duty, which means that I have to try to trick him and often chase him around the house before I can capture him.  Mean?  Possibly.  Necessary?  Absolutely!  Once I get him, he is too afraid to jump off the bed and so I have a captive bed buddy.  For whatever reason, the boy who is somewhat afraid of touch, insists on sleeping on me.  Every night, he starts off with his front paws and his chin resting on me while he falls asleep.  It's lovely.  Once Alvin falls asleep, he is out for the count and I often wake up to find at least half of him sprawled across me .  What a mystery he continues to be, but a warm, snuggly mystery.  In those moments, in the middle of the night when I wake to find once again that Timmie isn't there, Alvin offers me just a bit of healing that comes from the reassurance of feeling his warm breath on me and getting to look at a dog that trusts me enough to love me too.