Treyce's Untimely Death

Treyce didn't live much longer after my daughter and I acquired our puppies.

Turns out, she had a bad heart. A big heart, but a bad heart.

No one saw it coming. It was just there. And then she was just gone. I never got to see her from the time she started having blackouts until she died, but I think she died without pain or discomfort. Her heart just gave out on her. At the beach, one of her favorite stomping grounds...

My daughter, too, was spared having to see her in her blackout fugue states. In fact, she was with me when Treyce died. She drove to Columbia to meet her not-yet husband and bury Treyce in his family's backyard.

If it weren't for Treyce, I'd never have had Sonny. If it weren't for Treyce, therefore, I would have a lot more money. But knowing Treyce has made my life richer.

She brought unconditional love into my life. She brought a renewed love of all things non-human. Well, except spiders (for my daughter) and snakes (for my husband) and mosquitos (for myself).

I will always be grateful to my son-in-law for unwittingly opening up a new door in my life. Because, despite the expense, despite the hassles, despite the vomiting, despite the deafness, despite the skin disorder, despite everything, if it weren't for Treyce, my life would have a hole in it I didn't know existed. Treyce performed open heart surgery and it was a complete success. But in this case, it wasn't the patient but the doctor who died. And I will always miss her.