For eight years, Stuart Hutchison fought against cancer. At his side, almost always, there was Black.
Stuart was only 17 years old when, in 2011, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
From that moment on, very hard years began, with surgical interventions, chemotherapy cycles and new diagnosis. The disease also came to the bones and, over time, another aggressive tumor appeared.
In spite of all, Stuart continued to build his life.
In January of the last year, she married Danielle, the companion who had remained next to him during his illness.
And next to him there was also Nero, a French bulldog with whom he had developed a special bond.
Stuart had three dogs, but with Nero the relationship was different.
He was sleeping next to him.
He used to be his company in the most difficult times.
He was present during treatment and on the days when the disease seemed to occupy all the space possible.
On August 11, after eight years of battle, Stuart died.
She was 25.
What happened a few minutes later made history even more difficult to forget.
About fifteen minutes after Stuart's death, Nero suddenly collapsed.
Danielle's father had gone home to recover some things and found the dog in grave difficulty. He brought it to an emergency vet immediately.
Diagnosis was a fracture to the spine.
Black died shortly after.
There was no medical connection between Stuart's death and what happened to the dog.
It was simply a dramatic coincidence, arrived at a time that for the family was already devastating.
But that very short period of time inevitably ended up assuming a particular meaning for those who knew the relationship between the two.
For years Nero had followed Stuart through a battle that no animal could really understand, but to which he had participated in the way he knew better: staying close.
No explanation.
No questions.
Simply present.
And so, when their history ended a few minutes away, the family remained the image of two inseparable companions who had shared almost everything until the last day.
Sometimes the link between a person and an animal does not need to be explained.
It is simply recognized how long one chooses to stay next to each other.