Very sorry, tromboneliness.
My fil, rest his soul, was not a very nice man.
Raised harshly, he was the poster child for bad parenting.
But...animals loved him, and he them.
It was as if all of the bad in his early life leached away when he was with his dog and cats.
Animals have amazing power.
This next patch of time is going to be rough. Thinking of you.