How?

I miss my doggie. Bell isn't really mine, she belongs to my parents. I saw her for a few minutes yesterday and she is always so excited to see me that it makes my heart glad. My parents and I had a different opinion about some things and as a result we don't see each other very often anymore. This was very painful at first but it has gradually become almost normal.
The thing that bugs me is the animals. They are like children, they don't understand why you don't come around anymore, they don't understand why you aren't there to pet them and take them for walks. They think they did something wrong and your punishing them.
My stepson Zack said something yesterday after church that broke my heart. I had to stop at my parents house and drop off some things so Chris took Zack home and I went by myself. Zack started acting funny, kinda pouty I guess, so Chris had a talk with him and Zack asked his dad why we never went to my parents house anymore, why he couldn't go with me.
How do you explain to an eight year old that the people who used to welcome him to their table for hundreds of meals, who used to spend time making him feel special by playing games with him and letting him help with small chores and play with the dog, how do you tell that child that those same people don't want anything to do with him anymore because of nothing he did? Because they and I don't agree.
I'm sorry Zack.