It’s Bella’s birthday today. She would have been 13. We had a little celebration tonight – mini ice cream cakes with sprinkles, marshmallows, raspberries and candles. One candle was a Love Bug. The other? An angel. Because, as Love Bug said, she’s our angel now.

We’ve had signs from her over the past few days. We were driving over the Anzac Bridge earlier in the week talking about her when Love Bug pointed to the sky above us – there was a cluster of clouds shaped like a paw.

I went to see our psychologist on Wednesday. She gave me the book that Love Bug used to work through her grief. Oh my heart. Here’s just a snippet from the page ‘draw your loved one who isn’t here anymore’ … Bella, over the rainbow bridge.

My lovely little sister is walking Camino Portuguese and was thinking about Bella yesterday, when she came across this friend on her path. A long lost Portuguese relative perhaps?

I know she’s with us. I feel her every day. Almost as much as I miss her.

She really was the goodest of good dogs. And the bestest of best friends.