The feline formerly known as Jay Catsby passes away the week after Claire's birth. I come home from work and find him unconscious in the kitchen. I rush him to the vet. Dr. Nichols tells me there was nothing they could do. She adds, "I was vexed by x-rays of his heart, though. I was expecting to find an issue there, and I didn't find a heart at all. I'm sure it was just a misread. I can run more tests if you would like." I shake my head. I'm not puzzled by this. Jay didn't have a small heart. He had a heart with nine pieces that he doled out to save others. The last two saved my family.
I had been grieving all week for the real Jay Catsby, crying anywhere I could be alone, knowing Tiffany wouldn't understand. When I tell her that Jay Catsby is gone, she hugs me tight and cries, grieving for different reasons. Grieving for a different cat.
***
Claire is cleared from all of the doctor's tests. She is happy, healthy, and full of energy. I say a special thank you to Jay, wherever he is.
***
We receive the box a week later and agree to set it on top of our bookcase in the living room, so we see it always. Tiffany allowed me to handle the engraving, which is why it says:
Jay Catsby
aka "Church"
A Friend Unlike All Others
Weeks go by as we settle into our new routine. I see a story on CNN about a boy who survives a bad car accident, and the reporter calls it a "miracle." I wonder if an unseen cat or dog was on the scene.
Or a chicken, if you choose to believe that.
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The Nine Lives of Jay Catsby (#OnceUponNow)
FantasyThis story is about the bond between Steve, a bottom-rung journalist, and the cat he encounters by chance. The relationship is aided (and at times, complicated) by the cat's ability to speak (to Steve only), and also its ability to save nine lives o...
