the "strong" one, a role he's taken on without any of us asking him to. I think it's a combination generational thing/his German upbringing (he was born in America, as were his parents, but all four grandparents came over from Germany in the early 1900s, and one set of grandparents never learned English). Also, he was honestly surprised when I brought Leo back from the emergency vet. I think he had already said a metaphorical goodbye to Leo. I caught him one morning of Leo's last week just sitting in the recliner (which Dad rarely does), Leo in his lap...Dad wasn't saying a word but he was looking down at Leo with barely held back tears, petting him and petting him.
I mentioned (I think) that it took me a while to put away Leo's things...it took Dad until just this week to take down the plastic fencing around the porch that he'd put up so Leo could go outside but not go far. I think that was an indicator Dad's sad too.
