The next day, I was sitting at a café talking to Tiff. "Oh my gosh, Kelly! I can't believe you lost Whiskerton," Tiff said, clutching her coffee, eyes wide. "I can't even imagine what you’re feeling right now.”

"Yeah, I've been pretty upset about it. He was such a wonderful cat, and it just doesn't feel like home without him." I said, taking a sip of my latte. Yeah, that's a lie. I hate cats. The only reason I had Whiskerton is because Tiff gave him to me on Christmas. She had said a home wasn't a home without a feline friend.

"I would feel the same way if I lost any of my cats! That reminds me, wasn't it good timing that I gave him to you? It was around the same time your mouse Rickey died. I mean, who could have predicted that?"

"Actually, Whiskerton ate Rickey. I'm still pretty upset about that, too. " Rickey was such a fantastic mouse. Before he became dinner, I was training him to do backflips.

"We should get out of here and start hanging up posters or get his picture put on milk cartons just in case someone finds him."

"There's no need for all that. I'm sure Whiskerton will find his way back soon."

"But what if he doesn't? Do you want me to come with you to get another one if he doesn't come back?"

"No, I don't think another cat could replace Whiskerton; he was one of a kind, you know. So, I'll wait as long as it takes." I said, looking out the window to pretend I was upset. If only I could fake cry, I’d win an Oscar for this performance. Tiff can keep her murderous cats. Mama is back on the market for some mice.

 "Depressing news aside, are you at least excited about your date with Devin?" Tiff said, putting her elbows on the counter, hands-on her chin leaning in.

 "Oh yeah, I guess. I mean, he said I was going to really like the place he was taking me. But I hope we have a good night. We’ve been fighting a lot lately." I said, taking another sip of my coffee.

 "Over what?"

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 "The recent fight we had was over how forgetful he is. He not only forgot my birthday but our 6th anniversary."

 "Well, you know how men are. They can’t remember two different dates. My boyfriend even forgets his own birthday, for crying out loud."

 "Tiff, they’re on the same day."

 Tiff sat back, breaking eye contact and looking at the table. "Okay, yeah, that's pretty bad." She took a sip of her coffee, and her face lit up, and she continued. "But you guys have been dating for a while. Maybe you should move in, so he thinks about you more? Then he is definitely going to remember!"

"I've tried to ask, because I told him I wanted to move in so we can start thinking about marriage, but Devin says he wasn’t ready for all that just yet. He said he needs more time to think about it."

"It's been 6 years. How much more time does he need to figure it out?" Tiff said.

"I don't know. I've just given up on the whole idea." I looked out the window and saw a happy couple across the street feeding some birds. I remembered all the fun we had when we first started dating. We would go Kayaking or play board games in a cabin during a blizzard. But now, anytime I come over, he is too tired to do anything but watch one of his stupid shows. It's weird things just fizzled out over the last 6 years.”

“Well, at least he’s better than that jerk you dated years ago.” Tiff said, digging in her purse.

“Hayato. His name was Hayato, and he wasn’t a jerk. I never understood what you had against him. Can we please not talk about him? I still haven’t gotten over him passing.”

“How did it happen again?” Tiff said.

“He died from forgetting to wake up syndrome.” I said.

“What is that again?”

“It’s when a person kind of just forgets to wake up. The people that usually die from it are like workaholics that are burnt out from exhaustion, or unproductive people that sit on the couch all day. It’s also the reason professional sleeping was banned as a sport a few years ago. Can we please go back to talking about Devin? I’m starting to get sad again."

“Right sorry.” Tiff said. She pulled out her ChapStick and put it on her lips. She didn’t meet my gaze as she put it on. I could see her searching for a way to change the subject. “Listen, all I am trying to say is that you are a rare, one-of-a-kind girl. I mean, look at those gorgeous lilac eyes. There's few people on the planet that have Alexandria’s Genesis. The way he treats you is unacceptable! He should at least take the time to remember your birthday! Even if he is unreliable and treats you poorly, you can always count on me, even if you have that useless boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I know, and I’ve got your back too,” I said, finishing my coffee and packing up my things. "Alright girl, I have to get going. We're having date night tonight, and I still need to take care of some things before I see Devin."

"Alright, have fun, girl. Oh and you need to ask Devin about moving in again. Maybe he is more open to the idea." Tiff said as we walked out.