Friday is the worst day of the week for me. Friday is the day I have to go stay at my father's house. I hate every second there. My father never really understood me. When I was born my father was outside drinking. No one knew where he was, no one could find him. My mother sent her four brothers to go look for him. They were out for six hours searching for him. In the end they found him sleeping on a bench in the park. He missed my birth. After that my parents separated. That wasn't a big problem since they were never married. I don't think they ever understood why people did that. Get married I mean. My mother used to tell me stories about him. About the way he used to jump over the neighbor's fence to bring her fresh flowers from their garden every morning, about how they used to eat together from the same bowl and how they used to cuddle together at night and fall asleep that way. They had some great times together and she misses him a lot. I can tell. Now my parents live in different houses, and they don't speak to each other any more, but my mother makes me visit him every Friday. He doesn't pay attention to me. Every time I come over he is either sitting on the couch, watching television, or sleeping on a mattress on the floor he calls - "his bed". He never plays ball or Frisbee with me or runs around on the grass with me like all of my friends' fathers do. But today I decided to talk to him, ask him some questions. "Dad, can I talk with you for a few seconds?" My father scratches his ear and walks off the couch with a groan. "Yes son, what do you want? and make it fast. I'm supposed to have dinner in a few minutes." "Dad, do you love me?" I ask slowly, "I mean, why don't you ever give me baths or kiss me goodnight like Mom does?" "Of course I love you, son! I'm sorry if I wasn't a very good father, if I wasn't there for you... I just didn't think you were interested in doing things with me, and I didn't want to pressure you or something. I know I made some bad mistakes with your mother, I hope you can forgive me. I will try harder from now on. I promise!" I can't believe it; my father really loves me and cares for me! I can feel my tail wagging from side to side really fast and I start barking on the top of my lungs. I just can't help it. I am too excited. I know that from now on we will be okay. My father and I will eat from the same doggie bowl together and he will always leave me the good scraps. On Saturday mornings our owners will take us for long walks together and we will go and splash in the mud and afterwards have long naps together on his mattress on the floor. I am sure that from now on I will have the best life a little dog like me could ever have!!!