Sad Day For Bubbles

Sad, sad day for Bubbles. Bubbles is--was--our goldfish. Well, my son's goldfish. Did I happen to mention Bubbles was two days old to us? Yep. He arrived two days ago with his friend, a black moor goldfish and all was good. Bubbles and Victor Martinez (the black moor) got along just fine.

This morning I woke up with a massive sinus infection/incredibly painful brain-bursting headache and saw that damn Bubbles floating dangerously near the filter. Dangerously meaning dangerously if you happened to be alive...but since he was DEAD, well...

How to break it to my sweet son who was so excited about these new pets? Bubbles was already his favorite...Should I tell him? The pounding in my head said, "NO. You can't stand up right now. It is not the time...he will eventually stop playing football in the indoor arena (where indoor arena could mean living room/dining room to some boring families) and notice that Bubbles is floating.

Right on time he appears and is looking for Bubbles. "Oh there you are!" he says. Shortly after he says, "Mom, why isn't Bubbles moving?" Tears, tears, tears. Damn you again Bubbles. This sinus thing is making me feel so awful--the kind of awful that does not allow your body to remain in an upright position for more than 5 minutes at a time -and my time for this morning is already up. I am consoling, hugging and carrying him to the couch. Did I say couch? I meant OUCH! Every single part of my body is aching and crying inside with illness and Bubbles had to pick NOW to die?

Now my son is calm and wants to call the neighbors for a funeral. I tell him they are sleeping. He reluctantly goes off outside with shovel in hand, Bubbles in his Ziploc baggie and prepares for his last moments with his beloved two day old friend. I hear him sing a few patriotic songs during the burial and have to both smile and wince. Sweet son. Poor Bubbles. Now I have to get that goldfish book out and figure out how to help Victor Martinez live the best life possible.