Katrina was here on Cedar’s first day home. In the ensuing seven weeks, Cedar’s cells have divided a gazillion times; her weight and size have probably tripled. She’s gone from infant to tween.

Katrina helped us both through Cedar’s first nights, and eased the separation anxiety. We’ve lived apart since we started seeing one another in 2006, so we do know a thing or two about separation. I’m not sure how to take this, nor do I really care, but it took Cedar’s arrival for Katrina to get out a calendar and plan a regular series of visits. As happens often, life intervened on the November plan, so Katrina and Cedar are today catching up on half of Cedar’s life.

October 6 and November 24. Tom’s photography skills seem to be declining as fast as Cedar is growing.

One sweet thing Katrina did back in early October was leave her shirt behind for Cedar to bask in her smell. I’ve left it in her pen area. Occasionally I marvel that Cedar has never torn into it, but I’ve thought about moving it several times.

Katrina slipped in around midnight through a winter storm warning (with an actual winter storm attached). What a relief.

This morning, Cedar greeted Katrina with heart, paws, tail, and teeth full of love. After full on zoomies and a complimentary escort to the bathroom, Cedar came out, picked up Katrina’s shirt, and began parading around the kitchen with it— a stunningly beautiful piece of communication from Cedar’s heart.

Momma’s home.