She was the first to greet you in the morning. The last one to say good night. O’Malley. Of course, she came with a sister, Duchess. Named after the co-stars in Miles’ first favorite movie, the Aristocats. Rescues from the Middleburg Training Center. Legends around here.
We put O’Malley to sleep Thursday evening. Maybe a brain tumor. A week ago, she was bouncing, her typical style, affable and upbeat (Duchess is a skulker, a stalker), and now she’s gone. The fleeting life of our pets. We found a spot for her in her favorite hunting grounds, along the eastern treeline. I found a brown, almost mauve, triangular tribute out of garden rockpile as a tribute. We laid four pink roses on the stone and said goodbye. Just a cat…not around here.
