After living with me as my friend for 12 years, Charlie, who was sick for about a month, has crossed the rainbow bridge, and I still can't adjust to the empty house without him.

It just feels so empty when I come home. I don't even want to think about getting a new pet anymore. It's just too hard...

In the morning, the little one who used to wag his tail and wait in front of my door is gone, and in the evening, the gaze that desperately looked at me for food is now just a memory.

Charlie had the bright and kind personality typical of golden retrievers, and he was a bit nosy and very jealous.

Especially when it came to food, he never gave an inch.

As soon as he heard the sound of a snack bag, he would pop up from somewhere, staring at me with fixed eyes without even sitting down.

The cute back of him sitting with his back turned at my door because I didn't give him a treat still lingers in my mind.

Perhaps Charlie was the "most human-like being that could never be a person."

When I was feeling down, he would always come and sit next to me, leaning against me, and when I cried, he would quietly lick my hand.

Though he couldn't speak, there were many days when his warm gaze and body heat comforted me.

On his last day, Charlie slowly breathed his last with his head resting on my lap. The gaze that looked at me just before he closed his eyes... I still can't forget it.

It's such a painful memory that I can't write about it in detail, but Charlie left this world beautifully, quietly, and with dignity. With a gaze that worried about me until the end.

These days, when I see a dog that resembles Charlie while walking, my heart feels heavy.

When a golden retriever with bright golden fur passes in front of me, I feel both happy and sad at the same time.

It feels like I'm looking at Charlie. At those times, I find myself adjusting my sunglasses or pretending to look at my phone while wiping away tears.

Isn't it funny? I never thought I would cry seeing a puppy on the street at 36 years old.

Sometimes I think that Charlie might be watching over me from somewhere after crossing the rainbow bridge.

Even while drooling over treats, it feels like he would perk up his ears and come running if I were sad.

I know I can't hold Charlie again, but he has firmly settled in my heart. He always will.

Charlie, the days without you feel so strange and lonely, but the 12 years I spent with you were the warmest season of my life.

Will we be able to meet again someday?

This time, I'll bring plenty of treats. Don't be mad.