05/06/2026
Last Thursday, I got a very familiar- sounding text message from my friend (and previous neighbor from Bakersfield), Armando. It said, “Hey Liz, do you know anyone who might want a kitten? Ironically, I have had kittens on the brain lately. As anyone who’s been with us for any length of time knows, feels, and understands, both Luca’s and my hearts ache deeply for Huckleberry still. I love Nero and Bea dearly, and they are exactly who they are supposed to be. We are a family, and they have taught me… and Luca… a great deal about acceptance, patience, and a kind of love that gets better with time. That being said, every time Luca desperately reaches out for play and connection, and the cats don’t reciprocate or understand what he’s trying to say, I can literally see and feel his very tangible heartbreak. And, of course, his heartbreak is my heartbreak. For some time, I have been at least half-heartedly considering bringing another kitten into the family. One that is very tiny like Huckleberry was. One who is not already bonded with a sibling cat. One who needs Luca as much as he needs her. Anyway, I had kind of looked around, but ultimately kept deciding against getting another pet. After all, there are many very real logistical and financial reasons why getting a third cat is not the best idea. However. When Armando sent me that text message, I thought to myself…” if any of those kittens looks anything like Huckleberry… logic be damned; because the Universe, in all its mysterious majesty, never makes mistakes. A moment later, when he sent me a shaky, 15 second video of a bundle of six kittens - who had been born four to five weeks earlier in his side yard, and I would bet money are relatives of Huckle’s because this was the same yard she was found in - I told him I would be at his house the following afternoon with my cat carrier in tow. This is day four. And this tiny, precious baby… Is (Luca’s) new kitty, Clementine 🍊🤍. The way they look at each other, and the way Clementine just burrowed into Luca‘s fur the moment she laid eyes on him, you’d think they were discovering each other again…for the Infinith time.
