“Hey,” Jim came in, giving Pam and Nicky a kiss. “Where’s Care Bear?” Usually Claire was running out to greet him as fast as her legs could carry her.

            “Lucky died,” Pam explained. “She’s been upstairs crying all afternoon. She won’t leave her room.”

            Jim dropped off his bag, and climbed up the stairs as quickly as he could. Knocking on Claire’s door, he entered quietly. “Hey Clairey,” he said softly. “What’s wrong?” He sat down, and pulled her into his lap.

            “Lucky died.” Claire started crying again. “He was fine when I went to school. I petted him just like I did every morning. And when I came back, he was just lying there. He died, daddy. He died.”

            “Oh, Claires, I am so sorry.” Jim knew that hamster meant everything to Claire. It was her first pet that was all her own. Sure they had the family dog, but Lucky was hers. She chose him (he had the best brown and white spotted pattern she had explained); she cleaned his cage, fed him, and changed his water. Lucky was her world.

            “Daddy, why did he die? He had food, and water. And his cage wasn’t dirty. I was doing everything I was supposed to, I promise.”

            “Oh, Claire. Sometimes animals just die. You’ve had him a while, maybe he just was too old.”

            “He was only a year old, daddy! He wasn’t old. He shouldn’t have died.”

            “I know, Claires. I know. Sometimes, they just die. Even when you do everything right. He may have been sick. Maybe now he is feeling better.”

            “But I feel worse.”

            Jim tightened his hug on his little girl, and wished he could make the pain go away.