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Jack never really got used to Heaven. He tried, he really did, but he couldn’t frolic or spread out in the sunniest spots to sleep without feeling guilty about leaving his owner behind. His mom.
Sure he’d scratch and bite and get hissy with her pretty much all the time, but Jack still loved her. She’d always feed him at the same time everyday, make sure he was comfortable, and always have somebody there to take care of him if she wasn’t going to be around. She always did so much for Jack, and then Jack had just went off and… well, died. He got to go to Heaven, this perfect, amazing place, while she had to live all alone in shit ass America. So yeah, Jack felt bad for leaving his mom behind.
Jack would spend a lot of his time observing the new arrivals from Earth, watching their reactions to Heaven. Every cat reacted a bit differently, and it was kinda interesting to see. And maybe, someday, his mom would show up in Heaven too.
It was Friday evening when Jack met Mochi. He was observing the new arrivals as usual, when a kitten appeared in the tall grasses. The poor thing; it was far too young to be dead. It must’ve gotten sick and passed away, too small to fight it off. Curious, Jack walked over the little cat, and it looked up at him with a fearful glance.
”Where am I? Who’re you?” The kitten whined, eyes wide with terror.
”You died, little one. Welcome to Heaven. The name is Jack,” he said, looking down at the tiny cat. The little thing stood up on shaky legs, looking around wildly at all of the cats playing and sleeping in the perfect, endless field.
”Why is it all just grass?”
”It’s the default look for Heaven,” Jack explained. “Imagine whatever you want, and it will be there.”
”Can I imagine my mom?” The kit asked, and Jack looked down at it sadly. He’d tried that many times before, and it never worked.
”No, you can’t. Sorry, kit.”
”I’m a she. My name is Mochi,” Mochi said. “And I miss my mom.”
Mochi. “What was your mom like, if I may ask?”
”She wasn’t a cat. She was a human. And she amazing,” Mochi sighed. “She and another cat before me, that had gotten sick and died. She thinks I caught the old cat’s sickness.” The situation sounded so familiar to Jack, since he had died due to an illness.
”I’m sorry. What was your owner’s name?” Mochi told him. It was the same name as his own mom. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
”Do you know what the cat’s name was?”
”I… I think it was Jack, like yours. I’m not sure though,” Mochi said. Jack’s eyes widened.
”I think… I think we have the same mom.” Mochi looked up at Jack in shock.
”Really?”
”Yeah,” Jack said, starting to feel protective over little Mochi. His mom may be alone, but Mochi didn’t have to be. “…would you like want to be friends?”
”If you have the same mom as me, I’m sure you’re amazing!” Mochi purred, and Jack smiled in the way cats did.
”Good. I’m glad to be friends with you, Mochi.” This time, I won’t be leaving anyone. I love you mom. Don’t worry about me and Mochi, got it? Everything will be okay. I promise.