Chico's Gone

My niece was so happy when we let her keep the Chihuahua that we found a few months ago. It wandered up in our yard half starved and eat up with fleas. It had been on its own for some time by the looks of his coat.
We tried our best to find its owner but no one came forward. We were perplexed as to what to do because we have too many dogs already. Samantha, our niece who lives next door said she would care for him until the owner showed up. Well, the owner never showed up and Chico, as she called him bonded with her. I could tell she was becoming attached to this dog because when I went over there earlier in the week he was sitting in her lap as she watched TV.
She had started buying him Christmas outfits and planning for a Christmas photo that involved a hat for her ferret and antlers for Chico.
But due to one of those random events, Chico was killed by a car this afternoon. Sam had let him out to use the bathroom. We live on a dead end road and there's not a lot of traffic. As she stood watching from the porch, Chico ran to the edge of their year and then right in front of a neighbor's car who never saw the little dog until it was too late. He jumped out and ran back to check on the dog but he was gone. The old neighbor was saddened because he could tell by the look in Samantha's eyes that she was heartbroken. "There was nothing I could do," he apologised. "I know," she said "I could tell you never saw him....it's OK." The old gentleman picked up Chico and put him by the side of the road and reluctantly left.
Her mom and dad were out of town but she called them and her dad called me to go over and check on her. She was acting strong, but I could tell she had been crying. I took Chico and buried him in her back yard under an apple tree.
I went back in afterwards to wash my hands and I stayed with her for a while. I tried hard to think of something to say but for someone who works with words every day, I could not think of anything. So I just said I'm sorry and that I love her.