Every night around 10 pm my cat awakens from her sunshine slumber. She walks with purpose to our side door, singing with enthusiasm along the way. I let her out and she refuses to come in for hours. It took me a while to figure out why she loved the night so much. Turns out she's found a nighttime lover. He is probably twice her size - thicc, as the kids are saying these days, sporting a luscious gray coat. Whenever he looks at her with his piercing yet kind green eyes, she runs away and cowers in the corner. Yet, when he turns to walk away, she eagerly runs after him, stretching her neck to try to capture a good whiff. The cycle of chase and retreat goes on until he tires of her antics and he coyly mozies back to his house.
It reminds me of you, Other Love, back when my heart awakened as the sun slipped away. The thrill of getting dressed up, the uncertainty of what would happen each night. It gave me something to look forward to every night. Now, I just lie in my bed, waiting for the days to pass until I get to see you again, whenever that might be.