Say hello to Hilda…at least that’s what we’re calling her now until we can be absolutely certain she’s staying. She arrived on our doorstep unannounced, and now she’s in the process of taking over our lives…with our complete acquiescence.
We’d heard a cat crying outside for a couple days, and we’d opened the door to say hello. Figuring that she was someone’s pet, we didn’t let her in. The next night we heard her plaintive cry again, this time in a cold, driving rain. I opened the door and allowed her to come in…and neither Erin or I have been the same sinee.
Part of me doesn’t want to get too attached, but anyone who knows me understands that just isn’t possible. I become attached to animals very quickly, and Hilda made it easy. Still, she could be someone’s lost pet, and so I printed up some flyers and knocked on a few doors in the neighborhood. I even put up a flyer at our neighborhood Starbucks. I wanted to at least try to reunite Hilda with whoever might be missing her…if that’s even the case. Honestly, though, both Erin and I are hoping no one calls.
She came into our lives the night before what would have been the birthday of Erin’s late grandmother. The coincidence seemed a bit much to ignore, so “Hilda” it was. She’s friendly, talkative, and she purrs like an outboard motor, and though she’s been part of our lives for just a couple of days, but Hilda’s pretty much taken over.
It’s been just a little over three months since we came home from spending Christmas with Erin’s family in Longview, WA, and found Sundance dead on the dining room floor. I was just beginning to contemplate the possibility of getting another cat…and Hilda shows up, making that decision unnecessary and redundant. Perhaps it was just the Universe’s way of telling me that it was time.
If you’ll excuse me, I have to go baby-proof the house….
