I offce several miles south of the city in a rural area in a modular building with a lovely cedar porch with handicap ramp. One morning as I unlocked the front door, I noticed in the fresh snow little kitty paw prints just at the entrance. I gave it no thought, we have Bobcats here and probably other cats. Several days later, still snow on the ground, a customer came in and said, "Did you know you have a little cat under the ramp?" When he drove off, I went outside to see the little cat, but saw nothing. It was not until the following evening as I left late and locked the door, I heard a sweet "Meow" from under the ramp. I "Meowed" back in response, and for 5 minutes we meowed back and forth, but she had not shown herself. Finally, to my surprise, she stepped just from underneath the ramp, a little fluffy Tortoiseshell cat! After coaxing her for another 5 minutes, she came up to me and rubbed around my legs so sweetly. I brought her inside and gave her some milk from the refrigerator and reluctantly put her back outside and drove home. The next morning, I hurriedly stopped at the grocery store for cat food and invited her inside and fed her some delicious Fancy Feast and milk. She hopped up into my lap at my desk, where she napped curled up till late afternoon. My husband told me to bring her home, as I explained how beautiful she was. I couldn't help but believe she had been dropped off, and I wondered what was wrong with her, did I want a cat someone did not. We welcomed her openly and I had fun shopping in every store in town for supplies - litter boxes, scratching posts, toys, kitty condo, bowls, food. She appreciated everything, played with all her toys and for such a little girl had a big appetite! She liked everyone and ran from no one. Anyone who would sit in my chair, she would jump into their laps and sit as long as the visitor stayed. She played like a kitten, which I thought she was. I laughed out loud at her antics, and playtime often lasted as long as an hour a day. She was insistant on occupying my lap each evening for an hour, also, where she would stretch out and take a long nap. Every anxiety I had just melted when I looked at her. Before going to work in the mornings, I would cuddle her like a baby and give her soft kisses and lay her down in her bed. I especially liked kissing her shaved tummy where she was spayed. She was gentle and dainty and never became aggravated with anyone, not even the neighbor children who would come in and play with her. She never did anything wrong, never scratched on the furniture or jumped on the cabinets. Nighttime brought new adjustments, as we learned to all sleep together. Fancy on the outside, me in the middle, my husband on the other side. Fancy liked being close to me, and I liked being close to my husband. During the night as I slept closely to my husband, Fancy would move closer to me. In the wee hours of the morning, my husband would awaken to complain he would be hanging off the bed, while Fancy and I occupied at lease 3/4 of it! Every night we had to relocate, which often meant interrupted sleep time! When Fancy got her second set of shots, the vet asked if she could run a routine blood test on her, and I approved. Shockingly, the test returned indicating Fancy was FIV+. I researched on the internet and got over the initial shock, deciding we could keep her healthy and have her for a long time before she might become ill. Just weeks later, she did become ill with a high fever which would not stay down for more than a day. She stopped eating and drinking, and I was forcing food, water and pills into her. She eventually refused even being force-fed and our joy turned into anguish. Her tummy fur had not even grown back in, something I had been anticipating to see what color her tummy would be. I sobbed the evening we discussed not wanting to see her suffer any longer. As I departed the vet's office with an empty Pet Taxi, I felt numb, sleepy, exhausted. I am still trying to make sense of the reason Fancy came to me, delighted me and left so soon. I have experienced the most tender love, the most heart-felt laughter and have looked forward to everyday she was with us. I miss it all, and realize that the months she lived with us and we cared so sincerely for her were too short. We anticipated her being our companion until our retirement ages. Now we're left to deal with emptiness and try to reconcile the situation. As I drift off to sleep at night and in the time just before I awaken, I see her dashing by me. It's a haunting feeling, but at the same time, I am glad to see her still. Through all the grief, I still feel laughter and love that was so real. I'd never had known that such a bond could be established in just a matter of months. I'm comforted knowing she had some good months in her short little life. We've had other pets, but Fancy left her delicate paw prints on our hearts, longing for more of everything she offered us. Always in our thougts, little Fancy.