The hardest thing that i ever had to do

Something woke me up about 1am. I realized our sweet but old and blind dog must have gone out the doggy door and he must have fallen into the swimming pool. I quickly went outside and found him struggling to stay up. I got him out and tried to save him. He gave a last gasp and died in my arms. I did not want my wife to know how he had died and to see him in this messy condition. I quietly spent the next two hours rubbing him, blow drying and combing to remove dead hair and making him look beautiful. His coat was shinny and whiskers trimmed. I cried the whole time. My eyes are tearing now.
He looked so peaceful, just like sleeping. I went back to bed. In the morning I woke my wife and told her that "Pepper" must have had a heart attack last night. It really made it easy on her. That happened 20 years ago and I can remember every detail like it was yesterday.
I never told my wife the truth.