The Cattery

Rowena and Xin sit slumped on a white couch in different frames; they might as well be worlds away from each other. They wanted to get away from the crowded city, with its loud noises and busy agendas. They want to find peace within themselves, and with a companion. They sit and reflect individually, hoping to puzzle out exactly what pieces they are missing.

Beams of soft, fur-covered light appear to the couple. They are curious and untethered to the boundaries that hold the man and woman in shackles. They sidle up and cock their heads to the side with a trill, as if to say, “Aren’t you going to join me?” While spending time in the cattery, a jigsaw piece softly clicks into place. The woman hesitates, but the cat stands on a dresser and reaches tall, scratching at the sun-soaked window. Light streams in, and all the couple has to do is open the door and let it through. Rowena and Xin travel outside of their isolation and reach for the connection they have been craving.

They squint as the bright world presents itself to them, like a clam breaking open to reveal its inner jewel. The two meet in a shy handhold, fingers barely brushing and bodies turned sideways. This is new and fragile. It’s as if a single breath from either may break this newfound bond. But they know, even if it does, they have found what they are missing within themselves, and new connections and possibilities are bound to come looking for them.