Hoki the dog’s birthday this year was without his mother by his side, he was comforting himself.

This year, Hoki’s birthday was different from all the ones that had come before. The small  dog with soft, white fur and bright eyes sat quietly in a corner of the cozy little house he and his mother used to share. The day felt emptier, quieter, and no amount of trying could fill the space where his mother should have been.

Hoki looked around the room, his heart heavy with the absence of the one who had always made his birthdays special. His mother had always been there, every year, to nuzzle him with love, to make him feel safe and cherished. But this year, she was gone, having passed away a few months earlier. The loss had left a hole in Hoki’s heart, one that he didn’t know how to mend.

He curled up on the soft rug near the fireplace, the warmth of the flames offering little comfort. His eyes were drawn to the window, where the afternoon sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. The light bathed the room in a golden glow, but even that didn’t lift the gloom that had settled over Hoki.

His birthday had always been a time of joy, a day when his mother would shower him with affection and little treats. But now, there were no gentle licks on his cheek, no playful nudges, no soft voice singing him a birthday song. It was just him, alone with his thoughts and memories.

Hoki closed his eyes, trying to remember the good times, the warmth of his mother’s love, the way she used to make him feel like the most special dog in the world. But the more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. A single tear slipped down his furry cheek, followed by another, until he was quietly crying into the soft rug.

He tried to comfort himself, telling himself that his mother wouldn’t want him to be sad on his birthday. She would want him to be happy, to remember the love they shared and to carry that with him, even though she wasn’t there anymore. But it was hard. The house felt so empty without her, and no matter how hard he tried, the loneliness kept creeping back in.

As the evening wore on, Hoki decided to do something he hadn’t done since his mother passed. He got up from the rug and walked over to a small box that sat on a shelf. Inside were the few keepsakes he had left of her—a small toy they used to play with, a worn blanket that still carried her scent, and an old, faded photograph of the two of them together.

Hoki gently nuzzled the blanket, closing his eyes and letting the familiar scent bring back memories of better days. He then looked at the photograph, his heart swelling with a mix of love and sorrow. In the picture, he was just a  puppy, nestled in his mother’s fur, both of them smiling in their own way.

He placed the photograph in front of him and lay down beside it, imagining that his mother was still there, lying next to him, just as they used to do. Hoki whispered softly to the photograph, telling his mother how much he missed her, how much he wished she could be there to celebrate with him.

But even as he spoke, something inside him shifted. Hoki realized that while his mother might not be physically there, the love she had given him was still with him, wrapped around him like a warm blanket. He could feel it in his heart, in the memories they had made together, in the way she had shaped him into the  dog he was today.

With that thought, Hoki dried his tears. He knew his mother would want him to be strong, to keep going, and to find happiness even without her. She had taught him so much—about love, about loyalty, about how to find comfort in even the darkest of times. And now, he had to use those lessons to comfort himself.

Hoki took a deep breath and gave the photograph one last, loving nuzzle before placing it back in the box. He then curled up on the rug again, this time with a small, soft smile on his face. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the fire and the memories of his mother lull him into a peaceful sleep.

As he drifted off, Hoki knew that while his mother was no longer by his side, she would always be with him—in his heart, in his memories, and in the love that would never fade. And with that thought, Hoki found a sense of comfort, knowing that even though this birthday was different, he was still surrounded by the love they had shared.