“Unfortunately,” the vet said, “we’re going to have to put him to sleep.”

“Sleep,” Dad repeated and nodded his head. “Yes, sleep. Forever.”

“It’s true,” the vet agreed. “Your doggy will be sleeping forever. And he will have beautiful colourful dreams.”

The vet smiled at Dad. But the girl knew that the smile would soon disappear, because Dad would say something to make it disappear.

“He won’t have any dreams,” Dad said. “Because his brain will be dead. And a dead brain cannot have any dreams.”

The vet was no longer smiling.

“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t know that a dead brain cannot dream, because I’ve never been dead before. I think.”

“You think?” Dad asked.