The Universe Aligned Today
A momentous day indeed.
My fur baby, Phoebe, is home safely. I can hardly believe it. 43 days after she escaped our house.
She's thin (and hungry!) but otherwise fine. I gave her a bath and will schedule a vet visit for next week. She is now happily lying on her bed next to me.
I was leaving the house with both of the big kids, headed to Walgreens to get Covid boosters and flu shots. I had just pulled out of our driveway when Theo said, "Isn't that Phoebe?"
Sure enough, she was strolling through the cul de sac by our house. I immediately pulled over and very slowly got out of the van and crossed the street. She was walking on the sidewalk next to our fence. I followed her slowly, calling her name. She would pause and look at me, but as soon as I got closer she would turn around and keep walking.
My heart was pounding because she was so close but I knew that could change in a second. If I lunged and tried to grab her, she'd bolt.
She kept walking, up our neighbor's driveway and onto their porch. I followed her, inching closer. At the edge of their porch, I knew I could lose her: if she slipped through the slats of their fence, she'd be gone. I was close enough that I swiftly bent down... and I got her.
I held her so tight, but she didn't struggle. I couldn't see my kids in the van, so I wasn't sure if they could see Phoebe or not. But when Autumn saw me return with Phoebe, she started shrieking with joy.
I put Phoebe in our sunroom, with food, water, and the litter box. She flipped out and raced around the room — but only for a few moments. Then she began eating. I could feel how much weight she's lost.
After a few minutes, I decided to take the big kids to their vaccine appointments. I knew she'd need some alone time, secluded in the single room.
When we got to Walgreens, I realized that the appointments were scheduled for tomorrow, not today. What a perfect mistake. If we hadn't been leaving the house at that exact moment, Theo never would have seen Phoebe.
It also happens to be our cat Luna's birthday. And Theo turned 14 a few days ago. He was supposed to have a party with his friends today, but he's been sick this week so we decided to postpone. A momentous day indeed.
I shared a photo of Phoebe on Instagram, celebrating her return. One of my friends said that, in addition to being happy for us, she'd spent the morning with my girls. I'd recorded a podcast episode with her earlier this week talking about Nelle, Iris, and pregnancy loss.
So between Theo, Luna, Nelle, and Iris, the universe aligned to bring Phoebe home to us.
Anna Burgess Yang