Short Story: Prompt - the family dog goes missing for weeks. But it’s come back somewhat changed (child perspective)

Toby is the goodest dog. I know that because Mark says so. Mum says he’s her baby but that's wrong because I'm her baby and Toby is forty-four really (Mark says) and Mum is only thirty so that’s not right.

Mum cried a lot when Toby was away. Mark says Mum cries all the time and ‘not to worry champ’ but Mark cries too at films like that one with the dog in it so I knew he was sad about it? I was sad. I missed Toby on the end of my bed, where he goes when Mum isn’t looking and warms my feet up. He was gone for so long that Mum made posters and we walked around for ages and put them on lamp posts. His picture was on the posters, and it was one with me in it so Mum scribbled over my face in black marker and I cried. Then she told me that it was so bad men couldn’t see how cool I was and try find me, which scared me but I don’t mind as long as the bad men bring Toby back too. Toby barks at everything, even plastics bags and cars, so he’d protect me.

But Toby is different now he is back. He does not bark at things, or whine to go Out. He does not fetch things I throw, which is very lazy and maybe he is too old. He looks at things A LOT, and he stands around, and I worry he will get in the way but he doesn’t. He doesn’t eat his food - he looks at it super hard, like he can't remember what it is for. I know because I poured a whole bag out when he got home, and Mum shouted at me for making a mess. Maybe he eats sweeties all night like Lily and that’s why he is not hungry.

I don’t know why Mum still cries. She doesn't cry as much, but she is not happy that Toby is back as I thinked she would be. She doesn’t cuddle him or pet his head. Mark doesn’t pet him or roughntumble with him. Lily doesn’t get annoyed when he lies on the stairs or goes in her room but this is good. Everyone ignores him except me. He is my best friend and the best thing is that Mum doesn’t notice when he sleeps in my bed anymore. He doesn't leave dirt on the bed like he used to, or hair. He doesn't leave anything.

I heard Mark saying to Mum ‘we need to tell Ollie about Toby’ and I worry that they know he’s been on my bed but Mum says ‘Not yet’ so I know it’s okay for a bit longer. I sit in Toby’s old bed in the washing room with Toby, because maybe he will want to bark again if he is comfy in his own bed. It smells of him, even though he’s not smelly anymore.

Mum sighs when she sees me, just like she does when she talks about Grandma.

‘Toby was the best dog, the goodest dog ever. Remember that, Ollie.’

And I think, NO.

Toby IS the goodest dog.