Training

Fur glides under his fingers. With every stroke of his hand, he feels the deep purring.
Muscles tense, skin twitches and ripples.
Over the years, the cat and the human teach each other what delights them.
A nip here, a warning there.
Bargaining.
In time, they have struck a balance, a routine.
But with enough variations to keep from becoming dull.
And then, tragedy. Loneliness.
One without the other. All that was between them is lost.
Cries of mourning, wandering from room to room.
A hand reaches down to stroke the fur.
Not the same.
But he can be trained.