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The first time Ethan saw Riley, it was love at first sight. It had been eleven months since Mia had disappeared, and he had not so much as thought of another woman during that time. But it was human nature to seek companionship in times of loneliness. And with her long, dark hair, her bright inquisitive eyes, and her elegant but approachable disposition, Riley was just what Ethan was looking for.
The second time Ethan saw Riley, they were riding in his car through downtown Dallas. She looked a little bit nervous but was very curious about him. He was nervous too, but he was smiling the whole way. It was the first time since losing Mia that he felt hope for his future, like this could be something worth living for.
Conversation came easily between them. Riley wasn’t much of a talker, but she was a great listener. Ethan would pour her something to drink and the hours would disappear. She didn’t go out much, but Ethan liked to stay in. Long nights were passed cuddled up on the couch, a B movie or Netflix series playing in the dark, Ethan stroking Riley’s hair as she slowly fell asleep beside him. Peace was something Ethan had scarcely known since Mia went missing, but he found it with Riley in his arms.
The more Ethan learned about Riley, the more he adored her. She liked seafood, hated early mornings, and was very good at making him laugh. She spent a lot of time on her personal grooming, but Ethan always thought she looked beautiful. She could be flirty, playful, and downright sassy; Ethan loved her even when she was in a bad mood.
Days turned into weeks turned into months. Ethan’s apartment was as much hers as it was his. At some point, he put Mia’s things in storage – far away enough not to see them, but close enough not to forget them. Riley had never seemed to mind her presence, but Ethan was ready to put that part of himself away. The memory of Mia would always remain, but Riley was here and now.
But Ethan’s time with Riley wasn’t meant to last forever. Riley got sick. Bills were expensive. Seeing a loved one slowly decline is always heartbreaking. Ethan cared for her as best he could in her final days. And on a warm summer evening in 2017, just as his first love had done, so too did his second love leave him.
The last time Ethan saw Riley, he was putting her to rest at Bluebonnet Cemetery. He knew that some people might find it silly to buy a burial plot for your cat, especially one you only had for two years, but Riley had meant the world to Ethan at a time when there wasn’t much meaning to be found anywhere else. The pet cemetery was close to where he lived, and he’d be able to visit her there often.
“Thank you for keeping me company for a while,” Ethan said to the headstone, a hitch in his voice. “I really needed it.” Mounted on the small granite slab embedded into the earth was a picture of a gorgeous Maine Coon sitting on Ethan’s couch—her favorite place to be.
That night, Ethan would receive an email so unexpected that he would have to read it twice just to make sure it was real. It was a message from Mia, saying she wanted to see him again and to come pick her up in Dulvey, Louisiana.