A loss

Mr. White's cell mate (tank mate, whatever), the baby algae eater fish that I brought home from the fish store a couple months ago, died yesterday. When I got home from work, Mr. White was pecking at him intermittently.

I pulled him out and buried him in the dirt below the gardenia tree outside. That's where all the babies I lost back in December are buried, too. As well as the intermittent losses.

The gardenia tree has bloomed profusely this year. I tell myself that every bloom signifies a baby fish.