Just like that.
I almost broke character right there. Not because I was surprised—but because it stung more than I expected. After everything—feeding her, cleaning up after her, building my routine around hers—that was it? A single sniff and “not my problem”?
She jumped back onto the couch and curled up like nothing had happened. I lay there, staring at the floor, feeling slightly ridiculous. “Okay,” I thought. “That tracks. Classic cat.”
I was just about to sit up and call the experiment over when I heard something. A sound I didn’t expect. A low, sharp meow. Not her usual lazy, half-interested sound. This one was different—louder, urgent. I stayed still.
She jumped off the couch again.
Continue on the next page:
