— three sentences (or more) about something that happened before the plot of my current project

Chris:  Do you want me to come out?   You shouldn’t have to be alone when you put him down.

Zach stared at the text, and then around at the too silent bedroom.  God, it was tempting.  The dogs had all stalked him since Miles left, following him around the condo like they needed to keep an eye on him in case he took off, too.  Except for Noah.  Zach had assumed that Noah had just been around so long he understood Zach wasn’t going anywhere.  He’d come over and lay by Zach’s feet when he sat down, but he didn’t chase Zach from room to room like Skunk and Rocco.  It wasn’t until weeks later, when Noah’s old-dog naps turned into full-fledged lethargy that Zach realized something more serious was going on.  The news from the vet wasn’t surprising, but it had hit him hard.  He felt like he’d said good-bye too much lately; he wasn’t ready to say good-bye to Noah.

Zach sighed, and Noah raised an eyebrow to show his concern without so much as moving his head.  Chris would be a comfort, but also a distraction.  They had their own things to work on, and trying to do that while mourning Noah would be hard.  Besides, Zach had been alone when he found Noah, when he rescued him.  It seemed right to be alone when Noah went to sleep for the last time.  It was Zach’s responsibility to make sure Noah felt loved and calmed in his last moments on earth.  Zach needed to focus on that, on Noah.  In the end, his comfort would be knowing he’d done that well.

Zach: Thanks, but I think I need to do it alone.  Appreciate the offer.  Let’s talk soon.

There wasn’t an immediate reply.