She felt the lump inside her mouth – on the roof, top tooth row, about six teeth back. Betsy, her daughter, and Betsy's kids had a dog once. Zoe. Cute little thing. We all loved her. Couldn't help loving her. She taught us all about love – the unconditional kind. Zoe died of Cancer. Well, actually, they “put her to sleep” as they say. She couldn't eat anymore, even after an operation to have the growth in her mouth removed. They gave her chemo. It came back. All it gave her was another nine or ten months. Really, it gave the family another nine or ten months. She had no concept of time, and the for some seven or so months it was life as usual for her. So was it worth it? Well, now let's see. Five years they had her. One week they agonized over whether the operation or not. Three weeks or so, operation recovery. Two months or so, Zoe's cross-jawed face distortion. Then about some six months of life as usual. For her. Not for them; they were walking a constant tight-rope. Is it coming back? Will it be back? Is she cured – for how long? It was a high-wire act – almost a live-wire act. But not for Zoe. For Zoe it was a short window of return to normacy. Now Elmira wondered if the lump in her own mouth was Zoe's disease? What do you think? She asked her doctor-son. He looked at it. It could be, he said, but I think it's an abcessed tooth. Call Dr. Watson and make an appointment.