someone like you with all you know and how you speak.

Romeo died this morning.
I woke up at 6:45 to come open up my Vetinerary handbook and research his symptoms but for some reason I felt cool and calm as I looked at my frantic (they were preparing for work as well as listening to one of their beloveds screameow in pain) parents and told them that it looked like he was dying. I called the vet at 6:50 and left a message, since Romeo had been in their yesterday. Then I lay with him, watched him gasp for breath and screameow before asking my dad to wake me up before 8 so I could take him to the vet's office. At 7:45 I woke to my father sobbing; "He's Dead, Romeo's Dead, Romeo's Dead!"

I don't hear my father cry very often, and I mean that in that Ol' Southern way where you just don't see the men cry. I only remember seeing him cry once before, and that was when Ke---

I got out of bed, was not remembering to breathe, and after asking where and hearing the most scared voice answer; "In your bathroom." I opened the door to see him still - lifeless and turning stiff slowly. I have been slightly numbed by the sight of these things from having worked in a Wildlife hospital and a Vetinerary office at very young ages. But this was the first time I looked down at something that I knew loved me so much, loved his family (we spoil our cats, ask any of my friends, or moreso my mother's friends) and had seemed to be the happiest, most content to be alive and loved cat less than three days ago be nothing but a cooling body.

I don't remember wrapping him up. I took my mother's credit card and bought myself a pack of cigarettes, before taking him to the vet. I'm sorry mom. It had been 3 days, because the economy sucks and I can rarely get income, but I needed a Cowboy Killer stat.

At the vet's office, which is the one I used to work at, we examined the body a bit.

Heart failure seems to be what was the most likely cause of death. Painful at first, but peaceful at the end. They Say.

I came home, took xanax, let myself really cry. Talked to Lala Morelli, sent some text messages out.

And I'm looking at all other three.

And the house feels a little lonely.

And tonight there will only be three dishes out for them. That was the shocker when Max died - though he was always more of my Dad's dog than my own. And Romeo had kind of adopted my dad. Note the wording.

And that will be the most surreal part of this all.


5th grade.




seen here with his girlfriend.


rest in kitty peace, boomers.