Mickey came home the same day Abby did — but she was never supposed to. The family had driven to the shelter for just one dog: Abby, the little face that had already stolen their hearts online. But when they arrived, there she was — Mickey, curled up with her little sister Abby, the two of them tangled together in a bundle so small and so united that no one had to say a word. "We're taking both of them." There was no discussion. There was only the certainty that a love this entwined could not be broken apart. And so Mickey came home too — half of a bond that would shape everything.

She was wild. She was loving. She was, without a doubt, one of the funniest little souls this world has ever known. Mickey never seemed to need a reason to run — she would take off through the house or into the yard for no reason at all, tearing across a room with a smile so wide it made everyone stop what they were doing just to laugh. That smile was her signature.

Her favorite game in the whole world was tag, and no one played it quite like she did. On walks, she would burst forward, then stop and turn back — ears up, eyes bright, that huge grin already forming — and then charge at full speed, hitting her mom with a shove so hard it felt like she was saying, "You're it!" Joy delivered as impact. Love delivered as motion. Every walk was a small conversation between the two of them, told entirely in speed and smiles.

She wasn't a fan of baths, or of the Fourth of July, and she made both feelings well known. But she was a dancer. And a howler. When she pretended to cry — that sweet, adorable little howl — the whole room would melt. Her first momma was the youngest daughter of the house, the one who first took her into her arms; but her loyalty, quiet and unwavering, always belonged to her Momma — the one who always came back for her, the one who was there to care for her and never once stopped.

Mickey taught her Momma patience, loyalty, and forgiveness. She taught her to live in the moment — every moment — and to be grateful for the beauty always already around her. She was proof that a soul does not need to be big to be enormous.

My sweet Mickstas — you left an enormous amount of love within me. You taught me to be patient, grateful, to see all the beautiful things I already have. You taught me that all we need is to be present, to make every moment a happy one, because that moment is all we ever have. You taught me growth. Run free, my sweet baby girl. I long for the day we meet again. I will carry those lessons with me and hold you in my heart until my very last breath, and beyond.

— Mommy