When he entered into his mid-teens, his stays shortened to just a few weeks and he eventually stopped coming. Theresa was sad to see Bobby grow out of his interest in visiting her, but she was kept company by Sarah, until she, too moved away. Joan began to visit for a few days at a time over the last couple of summers. As much as Theresa appreciated the visits, it wasn’t enough to distract her from the emptiness of the home. For most of the year, Bear was all that Theresa had to occupy her time. Bear was affected by the absence of Bobby. Theresa was just too old to take Bear for the long walks that Bobby would do and the result was a much more sedentary dog.
None of that mattered now. With the arrival of Joan and Bobby, loneliness seemed a distant memory.