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My names Molly and I have a best friend named Nico, when we friends became friends he was 10. We had the best few months of our lives! We would snuggle all the time, we would play, sometimes with Bianca and Nico would even take me out with him sometimes.
One day everything changed, Nico was sad, he hardly ate, hardly spoke, never went out (other than school). He yelled at his dad a lot, when he came home drunk. Nico swore of drinking after seeing his dad all angry and drunk the first time. I don’t understand what happened but I never saw Bianca again, neither did Nico, I think that’s why he changed.
As the years passed Nico got more and more pale, he was skin and bones. Always just saying he forgot to eat, he never forgot to feed me though!
I fought to stay with Nico even during his worst days, I was all he had left.
When we moved out into a new apartment life got a little better. Nico went out a lot more—almost daily—he called it his job.
A few months after moving into our new house, I saw small changes in Nico, like before Bianca disappeared. He smiled more, sometimes he came home humming something.
Soon he introduced me to the reason why.
Will.
He was nice, I guess.
But I hated his guts.
He was stealing MY Nico.
When I hissed at him Nico got this sad look on his face, so I ‘warmed’ up to him. I ‘purred happily’.
Now I must admit he was warm, so warm. But I never accepted it. Not fully.
I couldn’t, he was replacing me. Or so I thought.
I soon realised he wasn’t stealing Nico, he was helping him heal.
In a way i never could.
As soon as I realised this golden boy was the reason Nico was Nico again, the reason he smiled again, the reason he looked happy and healthy again. I accepted his warmth (now don’t ever tell Nico, but I love sleeping on Will way more than on him).
My names Molly and I have two best friends, Nico and Will.
Soon after Nico shared Will, he started coming over all the time and then he never left! New things started appearing in our house, at first I didn’t like it but then I realised that meant I got to see Will every day!
My Nico. Our Nico was so much happier, and so was I.
And I had Will to thank for that, Nicos golden boy.
-
One night, after a nice dinner, Will got down in one knee. I bounded over for pats, and was rudely ignored. I was about to protest but Nico started crying and saying yes.
-
When I sat in the middle of my crying best friend’s and all of a sudden everyone quietened when the old man said
“Does anyone object”
I meowed, wanting to now what object meant. Everyone laughed.
Later that night Nico explained to me it meant he didn’t want him to marry Will, luckily he still did, I couldn’t believe I had almost stoped him from marring the best thing that had happened to him.
-
Everything was great, that was until I saw new things started appearing. Small things, they looked like they were for a mini best friend. That’s when the mini best friend came, her name was Lydia, she was nice and I liked her a lot, she was small and cute and love cuddles and was warm just like Will. I loved her.
That was until she started screaming, every single night, I had to cover my ears with my paws and Nico and Will would just give me a look like ‘I know, I know, wish I could be doing the same’
When she was a little older, she was not as annoying, definitely just as loud but u loved her.
My name is Molly and I have three best friends, Nico, Will and Lydia. I love them so much.
-
I was disappearing, just like Bianca and I knew it. I think Nico knew too. But this time I didn’t fight to stay, he had Will and Lydia now. They would take care of him.
I was tired.
Not the kind of tired where a nap on Will fixed everything. The kind where I felt heavy and the world smelled faint.
Nico noticed.
He picked me up more often. He talked softer smiled that sad, knowing smile and held me closer.
He talked about Lydia’s first steps, about how had Will burned toast—again, about Bianca.
He hadn’t said her name in a long time.
One day, when Lydia had been sent to Nannas, Nico sat on the floor with me on his lap. Will knelt beside him, warm hand resting on Nico’s back.
“Thank you Molly, you always stayed, you always helped” he whispered.
I purred, it hurt a little, but the small smile Nico gave me was worth it.
I looked at Will, meowing at him to take care of my best friend.
Will comforted me with a little ear scratch “I’ll take care of him” he whispered.
I wished I could tell Nico that I wasn’t leaving him the way Bianca had.
That I wasn’t disappearing because I wanted to. That it was just my time. Unlike Bianca who had left to early in life.
When it was time, it didn’t hurt. The kind nurse pushed the liquid in, I felt my eyes grow heavy and I feel asleep for the last time, between them—Nico on one side, Will on the other. Just like always. Just like home.
I visit sometimes, Nico has pictures of me everywhere. They have a new mini person now, his name is Alex. He looks just like Nico, it gives me déjà vu sometimes.
They got a new cat now, not to replace me. Just to fill a little of the space I left behind. I teach this cat how to live in my family. Where the best sunshine spot is, how Nico loves when you cuddle up. How the minis may be loud but they love you so much.
I think Nico feels me sometimes.
When the apartment is quiet and the grief sneaks in, he goes on to Will about how swears he feels a familiar weight curl against his chest.
Will says it’s just memory. Until I lay on him too.
My name is Molly.
I had the best friends in the world.
And I stayed as long as I could.
🐾💛