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she's stalking in circles around my chair, tail stretched high, wide face staring into mine. does she want pets? is she hungry? i've only had her for a few hours, only just picked her up from the shelter. i haven't the foggiest.
she stops beneath my desk, and i scootch backward to keep her in my sight. we stare at each other for several moments. myself, completely still. herself, tail softly sweeping back. and forth.
even though i've just fed her, i decide to try the food option. maybe she's still hungry. i rise. stretch and wince as my joints pop. i'm getting old.
she follows me out of my bedroom and into the kitchen, her bright yellow eyes watching my every movement.
i squat and pull the bag of cat food from the bottom shelf. the tinny sound of pebbles hitting her bowl fills the empty kitchen.
closing the bag, i shove it back into the cupboard and sit back on my heels to watch her.
she takes a hesitant step toward the food, one paw perching on the lip of the bowl. her whiskers tickle the pebbles as she sniffs them.
but two seconds later, she withdraws, turning again to look on me with her wide, staring eyes.
“okay, not the food then,” i say. she tilts her head and meows at the sound of my voice and we stare at each other for another few seconds.
“come here.” i scoop her into my arms. “let’s go get your toys.”
her fur is soft on my bare arms as I walk into the living room. she presses her nose against my cheek and into my ear. her whiskers are very ticklish.
i set her down in her cat bed. it's a soft blue color and one i let her pick out herself on our way home from the shelter. from the basket on the bookshelf, i select a stringy toy with a plastic bell at the end and jingle it in front of her. her eyes dart around, following the tinkling bell. she rises to her back paws. lashes out for the toy. i drop it once she has it in her grasp. she falls to her back, all four paws batting the bell around her bed.
i grin. perfect. she just needed a toy.
standing again, i head back into my bedroom and settle back at my desk. i've only been writing for a few moments before i hear a soft, "meow" from beneath my chair.
i scootch backward, kneel on the floor, and take her face into my hands. "i don't know what you want, crookshanks." yes. i named my cat after hermione's in harry potter. i’ve always thought the name was cute. sue me. i smooth her fur, and she leans into my touch, blinking slow.
"what is it?"
she meows in response.
"can you tell me what you want?"
she meows again.
i scoop her into my arms and sit back down with her in my lap. she worms her head into the crook of my elbow and stares at my desk.
lifting my pen, i slowly write a sentence on the paper, watching her all the while. her eyes follow the movement.
"you wanna sit with me while i work?" i ask, leaning my head over her own. she stares up at me. blinks slow. i feel her purrs before i hear them.
"i'm taking that as a yes," i whisper, rubbing my cheek atop her head.
i write a few more paragraphs. the purring grows louder. the last rays of summer sun glide across my bed.
a second look at her soft face reveals her eyes are closed. i smile as i catch a firefly's glow outside my window.
and i think, we're gonna work out alright after all.
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