“So, as I was saying Maximus,” while perched before the circular vanity mirror, applying black eyeliner to my lower eyelid, “I am quite beside myself.  I really don’t want to go to the Mad Hatter’s tea party.”

“Then, don’t.  You, silly girl.”

“Ahhh!” Frightened out of my wits, I dropped my eyeliner pencil.  It rolls upon stone marble, near my bare feet, to my shrilling frightful scream.

With mind-boggling disbelief, I lock eyes with my handsome Manx, Maximus.

Sprawled upon the white seat cover of the bathroom commode, regal as pasha; my lovely hefty tabby, flashes upon me, a disarming Cheshire grin of showy sparkling teeth.

“Easy, Alice.  I apologize for startling you; but for now, you must either take a deep breath, or grab your inhaler.  But be quick about it,” he instructs.

I grab my inhaler.  “Breathe in, breathe out,” he leads calmly, melodiously, as I eye him curiously. 

Mystified, wide-eyed, I warmly eye his long white whiskers, and their subtle twitching motion, as they seesaw up and down in sync with his furred sweet lips.

“There!  Feeling better?” He asks with a pleasant smile.  Nodding my head, yes; he grins again, and invites me to follow him into the bedroom. 

Quiet, obedient, bewitched, I follow the sensual sway of his cute little rump tail, onto my bed where we both stretch out languid, and utterly engaged.

Tucking a soft feather pillow under his front round paws, and then one under my long ebony tresses, I flutter my thick dark eyelashes, giving him pretty-eyes, which he accepts by squinting and fluttering his light hair lashes in return.

Kissing him on the top of his sleek mink head, as I’ve always done whenever snuggled together, I lean into the softness of the moment, into us, into my feathered pillow.

“You need not be afraid, sweet Alice.  Are you?”  He asked most politely.  I shake my head, no.

“Good.  Because I don’t ever want to lose what we have, and share.  Our relationship is special, and worth maintaining no matter what.  We have only each other to hold on to, in this cold, cold, world.”

My dark almond eyes water, gazing into his tilting, large round emerald ones.

Whereupon, we smile simultaneously; feeling, sharing, a profound heartfelt tethering between our hearts

Abruptly; despite how odd and unfathomable the circumstances; everything seems, feels, flawless in every respect within our private intimate world.

After a long, quiet pause, petting his silky paws, and scratching behind his delicate ears, I ask, “Maximus, how did you end up in the adoption shelter?”

“Ah, well, Fate.  Don’t you think?”  I nod, yes, as both our bright faces, eyes, shine blissfully with warm affection.

“My previous owner was a ginkel; an odious person with an ongoing condition of ‘borborygmus’, whom one day happened to be pussy sailing, on Broadway; and was so enthralled with the ladies of the night bink bink; he simply forgot about me.”

“Ewwww, what a dink!”

“Yep, he certainly was.  Anyhow, that’s when I made my escape,” he grinned. “Chains, and all.  You see, he used me as bait to garner the sweet ladies' attention; for they found me irresistibly adorable.”

Brushing his darling cheek, with my fingertips, I said, “Indeed, you certainly are…”

*A respectful shout-out to:

‘Lewis Carroll’