Josh rested on the ruffled up hotel bed as the TV droned on. “Our black bear finally comes out as winter comes to an end,” the bear watch channel played.

Tony came out of the bathroom in a towel and reached for his zookeeper uniform.

“Torpor is over,” Josh informed Tony. They had religiously watched Behold! Bear every Friday.

“But this bear is not the only one to come out. A grizzly bear begins to stalk his prey,” The TV continued, as the cameraman zooms in on a giant bear getting ready to attack.

“As exhilarating as this is, I’ve gotta get to work and you’ve gotta get home to your wife. You can’t have her getting suspicious.” Tony gave Josh a quick peck, switched off the tv, then made his way out and into his car. Josh also went home, and his two kids came running, gleeful that their dad had finally arrived. His wife tapped her foot.

“You know I had to work late last night,” he wrapped his arms around her, “So I could get this day off and so you can get this well-deserved trip to the spa. I’ll take the kids out.”

Josh got the kids in the car and made them guess where they were going. The kids beamed with excitement as they entered the zoo. Josh headed directly towards the cheetah exhibit. Tony excused himself from the tourist crowd when he noticed Josh and his kids. He grabbed Josh and pulled him aside.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I came to see you,” Josh said as he gently put his hand on his face.

Tony smacked his hand down. “With your kids? Are you serious? Have some respect, you can't do this.” Tony sighed. “Look, I’ll see you tonight, okay? At the hotel? But during the day, you’re just some guy who loves his children,” he paused, “And his wife.”

But Josh didn’t love her. There was a moment of silence. Then Tony simply walked away and took on his cheery disposition, as he continued his job. He acted like they never even had a conversation. Josh couldn’t continue living this life, he couldn’t keep going with a man who doesn’t even love him. The one man Josh thought truly saw him for who he was, only saw him a toy to play with.

Josh somberly walked back to his kids and told them to stay there, then walked straight to the grizzly bear exhibit. He glared down into the pit and began to pull himself up the 6 foot fence.

“Look at me!” he screamed, “I’m a fraud!” He jumped straight into the 15 foot pit. He laid there unable to move, as the grizzly bear approached his body and finished the job. It took only a couple of hours until it was on every news channel.

“Today, a forty-year-old man took his life by bear-” Tony turned off the TV. It only took Tony a few hours to find himself in the same hotel room with a new man to comfort him over the death of a “close friend.”