I had a cat I'd raised since middle school. It had been about 17 years—I thought he was living quite a long time—but he passed away last night. He had been looking lethargic for about two weeks, and when I took him to the vet, they told me to prepare for the end. I didn't sleep for days, never taking my eyes off him. I was afraid he'd leave in an instant, and I wanted to be there for his final moment. But I couldn't even do that. I fell asleep for just a second because I'd stayed up so many nights, and he left while I was nodding off.

After finishing the funeral procedures and returning home, I sat blankly for a while. Suddenly, a wave of emotion hit me, and wanting comfort, I reached out to him.

Less than a minute after sending the text, a reply came from him.