A loving presence

Some nights growing up I would start to cry myself asleep, but he wouldn't let me. He always found me in my crowded room, laying on my bed. Alone.

Jumping up, leaning in, whiskers brushing my damp cheeks. His soft fur smelled of smoke and fresh air.

The rhythmic ins-and-outs of his breathing calmed me, no matter how overwhelmed I felt. His large chartreuse eyes held a comfort that I have never found within a person.

The expression on his little face, with his little wet nose, reminded me that everything would be okay.

Whenever I stroked his smooth dark fur, I remembered that there was more to life than my worries.

No matter how lonely I felt, or how alone I actually was, he always found me when I needed him. Laying beside me until I fell asleep. Tail lightly tapping my forearm.

When I close my eyes at night, I occasionally smell the faint scent of outside air. Sometimes I swear I even fall asleep to the sound of his purr.