a motel in Oregon that had two cats in the lobby, one tabby and one black. The concierge said
their names were Tallulah and Charlamagne, and itmade me wonder how you came up with such
acreativecat name as Mr. Whiskers. I miss him, andyou, of course. I actually miss going to bed
and hearing his paws patter across the floorboards,because of course one in the morning is the
perfect time for him to go on a running spree throughoutthe apartment.
Do you remember a few days after you proposed thatI move in with you, and I was still
thinking about it, I slept over? I remember we werecurled up together in the bed and just as I
was about to fall asleep Mr. Whiskers jumped up onthe mattress and sprawled out on my side of
the bed, leaning on me. His purring rumbled againstmy back and you were asleep in front of me
and I felt like that could be home for me. That’swhy I told you I wanted to move in with you the
next morning. We made the best french toast I’ve everhad, to celebrate. I tried to forget I was
supposed to leave, and maybe you were too. I had onlymentioned that I might have to go home a
few times, but I was intentionally vague about itand never said for how long. I guess to you, it
seemed up in the air. And that agreeing to move inwith you was agreeing to stay. I said yes
because I wanted as much time with you as I couldbefore it happened. It was selfish. I wouldn’t
take it back for anything.
She wasn’t supposed to be released until September1st, but they changed her release date
to August 1st sometime back in the spring. My motherdidn’t tell me in any of our weekly phone
calls, to make it a surprise, she said. She succeededin that area. When she finally rang and told
me, it was a day before her release. July 31st, attwo in the afternoon. I immediately began
packing in some sort of auto-pilot mode, straddlingthe line between jubilation and immense
grief. I’m sorry you came home to find me zippingmy suitcase. You asked where I was going,
and I just said I had to go. That isn’t enough, yousaid. So I told you most of the truth, that my
persephelia
(persephelia)
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