258th Time...

I have been in a state of denial and have been in absolute dread over writing this post because by writing it, it means I am acknowledging some sort of reality I've been terrified I'd have to, but still and trying not to face. Benny (a.k.a. Benjamin Button, Benihana, Benito, Houdini...) has left the building and I'm afraid, folks, it's for good this time. You see, we've estimated (no exaggeration), that he has "escaped" from our house approximately 258 times in his short life of 3.5 years, and this time, on the 258th, I think the odds might have gotten the best of him.
It was the morning of Mother's Day when Jason accidentally left the door cracked while going to his car to get my gift. In those split seconds, Benny Houdini raced out the front door with Papi two strides behind him.
This is typical.
Not really a big deal.
They always come back at meal time. No joke.
This time Papi came back, but not Benny.
Still, not a big deal.
This has happened before.
Now, going on day four and no Benny??
BIG DEAL.
You see, Benny's part human and the dog doesn't get lost. Best case scenario, someone picked him up and took him in as their pet (had no tags cause we take them off at night so he doesn't wake up Lincoln - had a collar, though). If someone does have him, he'll "get away" in a matter of no time (being that we've spent thousands trying to keep him in our yard.
But what if he's hurt...
What if he's not even existent anymore...
That's the thought that brings tears to my eyes. He's my baby and it's hard to come to terms with that. But I'll be honest, somewhere around his 136th getaway escape, I started to comes to terms with this fact.
But the quote from my husband (who still has great hope, by the way) rings in my ears:
"Babe, it's not a Benny story if it doesn't have some crazy, twisted, miraculous ending where we're all like 'WHAT??!!!'"
So true. We already have a library of those stories.
Come home Benito.