Despite being raised in a loving family and meeting wonderful people along the way, I often felt alone – not lonely, but that I had not found my mooring, my home. When Murdock came into my life, that changed. A soul that chose to love me unconditionally, with whom, for the first time, I finally felt complete.

We had an amazing life together. We went for hikes in the woods. We had ice cream dates every Saturday night. We went swimming (well, he swam and I threw the frisbee). We ran after squirrels on our walks in the neighborhood. We sat in the yard on summer days. We cuddled during thunderstorms and fireworks (he was terrified). We took naps together. Every night at bedtime, I told him I loved him more than all the stars in the sky.