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Faye looked up from her paper and<br />
commented, “Tuffy can’t wait to go out to<br />
explore tonight.”<br />
“Yep. I guess it is time to go to bed,”<br />
Ray said.<br />
The man helped his wife up the stairs,<br />
and they settled down for a summer’s<br />
night of restful sleep.<br />
In the morning, Ray opened the front<br />
door to call Tuffy in for breakfast. Despite<br />
his calls, Tuffy didn’t return to the house.<br />
When Faye came to the table a few<br />
minutes later, she was surprised the cat<br />
hadn’t returned from its night of prowling.<br />
Their children and grandchildren helped<br />
search for Tuffy, but they finally came to<br />
the conclusion that Tuffy wasn’t returning<br />
home.<br />
The once-pleasant days and relaxing<br />
evenings settled into intermittent times<br />
of recalling Tuffy’s antics and an intense<br />
longing for his return to Faye’s lap. Days<br />
turned into weeks as summer gave way to<br />
fall, and yet, Tuffy hadn’t returned.<br />
As Thanksgiving came and went, even<br />
that celebration felt eerily different without<br />
their Tuffy. Ray and Faye decided they<br />
couldn’t stand the thought of having and<br />
losing another dear pet. Tuffy, as a kitten,<br />
had been a rescue from an uncertain future,<br />
like many of their previously caredfor<br />
animals. Each had unique and loving<br />
personalities and had been treasured as<br />
a beloved family member. Their losses<br />
had left holes in the family, but ultimately,<br />
a newly rescued pet had helped to gently<br />
refill their tender hearts.<br />
Gradually, Tuffy’s absence became a<br />
dull ache instead of the heartbreaking<br />
pain it had once been. As Christmas approached,<br />
the couple halfheartedly decorated<br />
their home. Finally, it was Christmas<br />
Eve, and there was a knock at the door.<br />
Their son had arrived with his girlfriend,<br />
and they were bearing a tiny, wriggling<br />
kitten of pure black fur.<br />
At first, Faye felt hesitant about picking<br />
up the little bundle of fur, but soon,<br />
her maternal instincts kicked in. After<br />
much debate and discussion, the kitten<br />
was named Jet. Later, the couple settled<br />
into their recliners to watch TV, with Jet<br />
laying on Faye’s lap. Smiles appeared,<br />
and a sense of rightness returned. That<br />
night, the couple walked with a renewed<br />
sense of purpose to their bedroom as they<br />
www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com x December 20, 2018 — January 9, 2019 x 15<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16<br />
401 Main Street, Suite A, Windermere, FL<br />
Windermere Center for<br />
DENTISTRY<br />
Emilia Godoy-Rapport, D.M.D.<br />
Always Friendly & Gentle<br />
Cosmetic and family dentistry<br />
www.windermeresmiles.com<br />
(407) 909-1097
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