I wish to immortalize this memory: I am wrapped in a soft blanket, the edge of it sits right below my heart. My toes are warm, knees slightly bent, and I'm cuddled into the crook of the couch. My arms are stretched out, and nested in them is my little love Callisto. My nose is in her toasty fur kept warm by the roaring fire- it crackles, and pops. I cradle my kitty close to me- she's entangled in my arms. One of her tiny paws curls, as it rests gently on my finger, almost, but not quite holding on. Callisto breathes, and I breathe. She's right in my arms where she belongs. I breathe my nose whistles, the fire crackles, and pops, and she shifts her paw.

The sun did not fade when my dear grandfather was taken away by cancer. Or when my beloved family dog closed his eyes in eternal slumber. This grief is like no other. Callisto, is not just a piece but a chunk of my heart. The day began and ended beside her. I cleaned up vomit and smelly litter because it was my purpose to care for her.

It does not make sense that she can breathe, and purr, cradled in my arms, with my face in her warm fur, and that a deadly disease waits to take her away from me. She is mine and I am hers- Cancer can't have her. Callisto was put to rest November 21st 2025