Charlie stared at the pool, petting the cat in his arms and leaning ever so slightly against the horse at his side. The animals felt the loss as much as the man they were trying to comfort. The ginger head tilted ever so slightly toward the horse. It was nice to have them nearby, but he wasn't sure he wanted them around. Then again, he was doing his best to avoid being angry, avoid lashing out.
"They are gone, but they are not gone. They are with us." He was speaking to himself and the animals. None of them jumped when the doorbell rang; it wasn't that odd an occurrence. He headed toward the door, horse following along, cat still in hand. It took some doing, but Charlie got the door open.
"Hello." He didn't sound sad. He didn't sound angry. He didn't sound happy. "Can we help you?" It was an absurd question, but he didn't have anything else to ask. He hadn't expected her to show.