He is a grown, single man who has come to accept that life is passing him by and that his chances of starting a family are dwindling with each day. She is his cat, Hobbes, a fluffy ball of kindness and loyalty who has been his companion for years. But one day, a woman enters his life and decides to impose her own vision of how things should be.
The man and woman grew close, lived together, and tried to build a relationship. They quarreled frequently, mostly over religious differences. One day, a particularly heated argument led the woman to storm out. Later, she wrote to him saying she was willing to return, as her feelings hadn’t faded. However, she set a strict condition: he had to get rid of his cat. Problem?
On one hand, he had the prospect of a woman who could become his wife and the mother of his children, brightening his remaining years. On the other, he had Hobbes, an “ordinary” cat who could be surrendered to a shelter.
But Hobbes was not just a cat; she was his friend, his loyal companion for years, and effectively a member of a family he had created. The paradox was clear: to build a “real” family, he was required to dismantle the “unofficial” one he already had. So, what should he do?
“I’m 33 years old and Hobbes is the closest thing I have to a family. She’s basically my child. As for the woman… she’s now definitively my ex.” While Hobbes was unaware of her master’s inner turmoil, she remained consistently loyal and affectionate towards him. And he deeply loved his pet. Debating who should leave and who should stay was absurd in his eyes. The choice was clear.
“That’s how I answered her. End of story.”