For all intents and purposes, my brother and I were latchkey kids. But we had each other and we did everything together. We chased rabbits, searched drainage pipes for C.H.U.D.s, chased the neighborhood girls.

Cap loved to watch movies. We were both so excited when my bootleg copy of Eraserhead arrived in the post. We made popcorn, shut off all the lights, and about twenty minutes in, fell promptly asleep. Haha.

We ate together, racing to see whom would finish first. More often than not he won, but his mouth was bigger so it wasn't a terribly fair competition. Evidently speed eating is not normal social behavior, as I've subsequently learned and relearned on dates with respectable girls.

I was four years his senior, but he was much more mature. He had an inherent wisdom that to this day I can only aspire to match. There was no minor detail that escaped his curious attention, no problem so severe he could not fix it with kisses and cuddles.

He is missed.

Dogs are...