It’s been over six weeks since Hoshi and I have been on our own. Hoshi has always been a very social kitty. She wants her lap time and attention. Before the COVID isolation, I would be gone all day at the office. When I got home, I could barely sit down before she was on my lap purring.

At the office, when I’m deep in thought, without knowing it, I cross my legs Indian style in my chair. People would comment on it. The first time my past boss saw me sitting that way, he twirled my chair around and got me dizzy. Hoshi has me trained.

Yes, my home desk is a mess, but it supports my monitors. This is where Hoshi hangs out while I’m working at home. So when I go into the office, my legs naturally expect to have a cat in the lap while working.

Over the past month, I’ve been cleaning and rearranging to get back to a new life style with just Hoshi and me. We had habits that involved the three of us and now the habits are the two of us. I used to put four cans of cat food out morning and evening. Now, I put two cans out. I still clean the litter box every morning, but some days only one litter box has been used.

Hoshi has always been the one who wanted to be with someone. She does not like being alone. Lilly was more independent. She preferred hanging out in the Guest Bedroom. The bed was hers. Woe be to anyone who thought they would be a guest over night! They’d have to get Lilly’s approval! She would come out for dinner and cuddle a bit, then have enough and go do her thing.

The first couple of weeks, Hoshi would wander the house as if she was looking for Lilly in all her hang out places. The wandering has settled down, but she’s beginning to hang out in the Guest Bedroom a bit more. It is almost as if she’s waiting for Lilly to show up.

We’re settling into our new normal. It’s unusual for us to be on our own. When Hoshi came into the house, it was Hayden, my husband, and me. After Hayden passed, we could tell Hoshi was missing him. Eventually, I capitulated and we brought Lilly into the house hold. It took a few months, but soon they became close buddies.

Wonder why I didn’t make my bed? Because they claimed it while I was getting ready for work. How could anyone shoo those sweet faces to merely make a bed?

At the moment, we haven’t settled on a new pattern. But over time, I’m sure we will get to a normal behavior for the two of us.