Goodbye, Abby.

Our beloved Abby-dog was hit by a car and killed on Monday afternoon. She was only four years old. She had a perpetual smile on her face, and loved to run and chase things, lounge in the sun, kill possums, and protect her family. She was a fast runner, and as stubborn as a dog can be. She was easily coaxed by love and attention, though. When I would feed her in the morning, she would always wait for all the bowls to be filled before eating, and then when I put the last bowl down, she would kiss my cheek. She kissed me whenever I asked her. She was very well loved by all of us, but most loved by her favorite person, Johnny.

I had someone working on my sprinklers on Monday. While he worked, I had the dogs in their kennel. By the time he left they were begging to go outside to potty. I neglected to double check that the gates were completely closed (sometimes people think they are closed when they are not), so the dogs took advantage of the open gate to go exploring. They were in an apartment complex around the corner from us, and ran out in front of a driver, who tried to miss Syrah, but didn't see Abby run under his truck. For about an hour after the accident, I couldn't locate Syrah, either...then she turned up in my locked yard just before Kelly walked in the door. Her back leg appears to have been injured, whether because she had been hit by the car or because of how she got back in the yard, I don't know. It doesn't appear to be broken, but she favors it. Since Abby was killed by the car in the afternoon while the kids were at school, I had to tell each of the children separately as they came home from school that their dog had been killed. I didn't think I would have the strength, and it was very difficult. All of them (except Joe, who is stoic) broke into sobs and wails, but it hit Johnny the hardest. He cried on my shoulders for almost thirty minutes in the garage, and while he spent the day at home on Tuesday due to a bad cough/cold, he sobbed many times throughout the day.

This morning I was remembering how Johnny had given the dogs a bath on Friday. Abby didn't enjoy her baths, but after she was clean, she loved running around and rubbing her wet body on all of us, demanding kisses and pets. I had washed the bedding for their kennel and I was trying to fold it on the floor before I put it inside. Abby recognized her blanket and began to lay on top of it, sniff it and "snuffle" happily, as if she was  glad it was clean and fresh. She was most happy when she was running, and so I imagine that when she ran out of the nearby apartment complex (chasing her buddy Syrah), she was in her element. Since she was dead instantly, I know she must have blinked her eyes and found herself in Heaven, wondering where in the world Syrah had gone. I know Syrah has been wondering where her pal Abby is. She has been morose and clingy since Abby has died, like all of us. We will certainly miss her!!