our little lucy.

On Friday morning, {cv} and I woke up like normal to Lucy jumping on the bed. She heard his alarm and knew it was her time to cuddle before he jumped in the shower for work. Lucy made one pass over the top of both of us and was going back for more. She walked on {cv}'s chest then onto mine. Lucy then turned and walked toward my legs. She took a little nosedive, which we thought was normal...she loved for us to rub her belly. Only this time, it wasn't normal. She made a few quick noises and then I went to razz her...and realized something wasn't right. I looked at {cv} and said: "I think she's gone." 

We couldn't process it right then, because in the flurry of the next ten minutes...we put Gus in a crate and put Lucy in another and were out the door to the vet. Sadly, We knew she was gone before we left the apartment. Some part of us just hoped Lucy was playing some cruel game. Except she wasn't. The vet confirmed what we already knew. She also checked out Gus, just to make sure he was ok. The vet assured us we'd done nothing wrong. Lucy had been absolutely normal the day before...she was eating, drinking, and using the bathroom. She was affectionate at the usual times. Nothing out of the ordinary. In the ten years our vet has been practicing, she's only seen about ten cases of sudden death--our Lucy being one of them. We've decided to have an necropsy {i.e. an animal autopsy}, just to rule out any issues around the apartment which might affect our Gus. In reality, we're pretty certain though that it was her big heart that took her.

It's the little things that we don't want to forget, which is why I'm writing this post. Lucy always greeted me at the door when I would get home from work, so I know today will be difficult. She always rolled over for me to rub her belly and did a biggggggg stretch. Showering has been hard because Lucy always loved to jump in the wet tub. Doing my hair has been rough because Lucy buried her nose in my wet towel on a daily basis.

Lucy had quite the attachment to {cv} though--and it's been hard to think about her absence. Lucy loved smelling his shoes when he got home after a long day. She'd leave him little presents in the form of bobby pins in his loafers, which he'd find on business trips. {Have you figured out she was a quirky cat yet?} They were cuddle buddies--and she made me jealous on more than one occasion ;)

We had a nice dinner out on Saturday and I kept the cork from our wine. Normally, Lucy would find it in my purse around 3:00am, when we were trying to sleep...and play to her little heart's content. This morning, it's still in my purse. 

Gus hasn't been the same without his partner in crime. Gus and Lucy came home from the shelter the same week. Though they weren't siblings, they were almost inseparable. {cv} and I got used to having them around--together. We're trying to read him to figure out whether he needs another buddy. He's been looking in every corner this weekend--and any noise perks his ears as if she was suddenly going to bound around the corner.

So, this morning...as we wait for the results on what took Lucy from us all too soon, I'll never forget her peaceful little face looking out our windows. Few people have to experience watching something like we did on Friday morning...and I don't think the memory of that minute will soon fade. Lucy was like our child. Anyone who says pets aren't like family is certainly wrong. I'm trying to smile knowing Lucy is now enjoying a wonderful life outside the window up in kitty heaven. 

So, today, give your pets an extra squeeze and please say a little prayer for strength

for {cv}, Gus, and me...xoxo {av}

P.S. Thank you to those of you who saw my tweets and sent along your love...it meant the world to us.