We decided to keep the cats, letting them become part of our healing. Each small heartbeat, each soft purr, reminded us of the love Lily had quietly shared with the world. Over the following days, I found myself returning to her room, no longer frozen in place but able to sit at her desk, touch her unfinished bracelet, and remember her with gentler eyes. One night, Baxter lay by my feet while the kittens slept nearby, and for the first time in weeks, I drifted into peaceful sleep. It felt as though Lily’s kindness had reached back to guide us, showing that even in loss, love has a way of returning, soft and steady, just when we need it most.
