Gloria died on December 27, 2025. My partner flew in from New York the day before to be by her side. She’d been in an oxygen tent at a vet near my parents’ house for two days, fighting what turned out to be her last fight. She was my mini schnauzer, nearly 16, and she was my everything. On Christmas Day, I noticed her breathing had gone shallow. I knew. I didn’t say it out loud because I didn’t want to wreck the holiday, but I knew. So I rushed her in. Congestive heart failure, the vet said.