Rieke in Miami Beach

My dad Herbert asked for this one. His dog Rieke, a Golden Doodle, died unexpectedly at the beginning of this year, and he and my mom Marianne took it hard. Since then we’ve imagined a few encounters between Rieke and Max, and they’ve turned into strips. This is the latest: Rieke comes down to visit Max in Miami Beach, they run the beach together, say hello to Herbert and Marianne on Zoom, and then she heads back. These imagined visits have been a comfort to my parents, and honestly to me too. Max’s closing thought is the one we all hold on to: she doesn’t have to stay. She knows where we are.