When I decided to stay with those humans, Dembe and Raymond installed and taught me how to use a cat flap, so that I could come and go as I pleased, because as it turned out, the flat wasn't their permanent home.

Sometimes they were gone for weeks, traveling abroad for business, but at least I had shelter this way, especially on a cold night.

Funny enough, I always discovered a bowl with dry food and fresh water to be available, so whoever arrived to feed me, it was sweet and touching and I appreciated the effort.

I developed a keen sense whenever they were home or not and I even recognized the sounds of their vehicle's engine miles away. I always stayed with them when they were, and only left the flat to mind my "own business".

Over time I became very close with them both. They were very loving and always made me feel welcome.

Dembe was a surprisingly gentle person and never seemed to grow tired of playing with me. I always helped him when he sat for hours, putting hundreds of small puzzle pieces together. His patience seemed to be endless in that matter. He always had special treats for me in his pocket and he was the one I allowed to scratch and rub my belly first.

Raymond was a much harder nut to crack. He always seemed aloof and unreachable at first. He always kept a distance. Yet, the way he looked at me, the way his eyes pleaded, like I was the only one who could help him. He watched me, smiled whenever he gazed at me and I could say with confidently that he enjoyed my presence nonetheless.

That changed quickly however, when I was alone with him. He then transformed into a completely different person.

I learned that Raymond was a troubled man, with a debt on his soul. He was in pain, full of regrets, sorrow and loss. His world was dark and dolorous to the point that he'd obey the summons of death with more alacrity than he would of life.

He would always be on the run, convicted and suspected of committing some very serious crimes.

He had always tried to make the best of it, hiding in plain sight, living a full, rich, opulent life with the allure of guilty pleasures.

He genuinely enjoyed his alone time, relieved for the opportunity to abandon his business and duties for short periods. I felt honored and gratified he sought my company during that time.

Curled up in his lap became my most favorite place to be. I purred and my eyes squinted shut when his strong hands would gently pet me for hours as he enjoyed lots of the brown liquid I've told you about before.

I noticed the tension leave his body eventually, his troubles would also disappear and contentment rose from him like steam.

He may have been considered a criminal by the authorities, but I knew he was loving and possessed a good heart.

######

Raymond allowed me to sleep in his bed and left a piece of his blanket free in order for me to stretch out beside him.

His sleep was tormented by nightmares. He usually tossed and turned until he woke up drenched in sweat. I wished I had the ability to chase away those recurring demons too, just by purring - at the very least it helped to soothe and compose him.

When it was time for breakfast I gave him a headbutt and then flopped down next to his face. When he didn't move and continued to feign sleep in hopes that I would leave him alone, I touched his face with my paw to get his attention.

In answer, his mouth came to place a series of small kisses on the sensitive underside of my paw and I would pull away quickly at the tickling, only to put my paw back onto his face so that he could do it all over again.

This exchange of affection always made him smile and the look in his eyes melt me every time.

"You really shouldn't love me so much," he whispered as I nuzzled against him, purring like a lawnmower.

######

One day he had bought a red collar and held up a tiny metal cube.

"This microchip contains all my secrets. If something ever happened to me the world will know the truth," he told me.

He secured the chip into the fabric, then put the collar around my neck. I found it annoying and meowed displeased and unhappy as I tried to strip it off.

He just intently gazed at me with a tilt of his head and an amused smile: "This is important, sweetheart."

How could I resist any longer when he looked at me like that?

######

I loved listening to his voice. At "lap-time", he had started to tell stories about his childhood and Navy experiences, and his early life as he struggled to keep ends met; also how he came to be within his criminal empire.

He would sit in his chair, grinning often as he remembered something, or laughing at his own youth and foolishness, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

The stories would usually start in one place and wander, branch, and diverge until an hour later I had long forgotten the initial episode, but it didn't matter because he was such a captivating storyteller.

######

And then, one day, he started to tell me about her.

Elizabeth.

By the way his voice always softened when he talked about her, I knew she was special.

Their lives had elaborately intertwined when she was still a little girl and the years they spent apart had sustained his belief in their eventual reunion and it had given his life purpose and direction. Now that time had come.

In all these years, she had become part of his hope for a second chance, a hold on peace and love. His determination that they were meant to be together could only be defeated by his cognition that she deserved so much better than him, and that his presence in her life alone put her in great danger and misery.

It was a constant battle of letting her go but remaining in the very same part of her orbit.

If he thought living the life of a criminal was tough, he truly underestimated loving her.

TBC