On a warm day in July, Sonja met the cat. She was doing her housecleaning when a noise from the front door caught her attention. Sonja opened the door to check. Something furry shot past her legs. At first blush, the something appeared to be a cat.

Sonja raced inside, looking for whatever had entered. Something that size could also be a raccoon, she feared. In her living room, Sonja found a large cat making itself at home in her armchair. The cat was a calico with long fur. Sonja had never seen this particular cat before and had never owned a cat. Why had it decided it belonged in her house?

Sonja knelt and examined the cat’s neck but found no collar. She decided the cat was female.

“Who are you, little one?” she asked, petting the cat, “Where’s your person?”

Sonja thought for a moment. She had bought the house in April and moved in May. Maybe this cat belonged to the last owner.

“Guess I can try them to start,” Sonja said, grabbing her phone.

She located the former owner’s number and dialed.

“Hello?” answered a male voice.

“Hi, Mike, it’s Sonja. The woman who bought your house.”

“Hey, how’s things? Liking it?”

“I am. It’s nice. Did some redecorating but left a lot of your decor in place,” Sonja told him, “Do you folks have a cat?”

“No, we don’t. Janet and I are dog lovers. We just adopted, in fact. I doubt we would ever get a cat. Why?”

“A cat got into the house,” Sonja replied, “She seems very comfortable here, like she belongs. Thought maybe she was yours.”

“What does she look like?” Mike asked.

“Large cat, long fur, calico with a white belly.”

“Don’t know that one. The couple next door have a white shorthair and there’s a black cat across the street.”

“Okay, thanks,” Sonja responded, “That helps, anyhow.”

With that possibility exhausted, Sonja pondered what to do. People with lost pets often put posters on the neighbourhood mailboxes. Sonja figured she could put up a poster advertising a “Cat Found” if nothing else worked. Getting up, she decided to check to see if any posters were currently up.

At the mailboxes on the corner, there was only a poster for a missing black cat named “Spooky.” Sonja sighed.

“Well, maybe I just got myself a cat,” she sighed, “I can get the vet over on Victoria to give her a checkup. Maybe they will know her.”

A tall, slim woman in a light sundress approached the mailboxes as Sonja started home. She was dark and quite pretty. Sonja watched her with interest for a moment. The woman took out a sheet of paper and prepared to put it on the mailbox.

“Are you looking for a missing cat?” Sonja asked.

The woman looked at her in surprise.

“I am,” she responded.

“Can I see your poster? A cat snuck into my house. I am trying to find the owner.”

Smiling, the woman passed Sonja the paper. Unsurprisingly, it was a photo of Sonja’s visitor.

“That’s the one,” Sonja told the woman, “Want to come get her?”

The woman laughed and said, “Oh wow. Freya’s done some crazy stuff but this is a new one. Sure, where do you live?”

“360.”

“Ah, the Cassidys’ place. I heard it sold. I’m Natalie. I live around the corner.”

“Sonja. Nice to meet you.”

They chatted as they walked to Sonja’s house. Natalie turned out to be a dental hygienist, same as Sonja. They even had mutual connections in the field. By the time they reached the door, Sonja was feeling quite attracted to Natalie. From the way Natalie looked at her, Sonja wondered if she felt the same.

“Hello, Freya,” sang out Natalie when she saw the cat, “What are you doing here?”

The cat mewed, then purred as her person petted her.

“Have you fed her?” Natalie asked.

“Not yet. She didn’t seem hungry. Would you like a drink? As long as you’re here, we can talk more. I’m new here. It would be nice to get to know someone.”

“Especially you,” Sonja mentally added.

“I would love a drink,” Natalie responded, “I’ve been out looking for this silly cat for an hour.”

Freya mewed, smiling as much as a cat can smile.

“Tea? I just got some new loose leaf at Patty’s Pot.”

“Oh wow, I shop there, too. Which tea?”

“I have four. Come and see. I usually drink green or herbal in the afternoon.”

“Me, too. Do you have their new lime herbal?”

“I do. Haven’t tried it yet.”

“It’s lovely. Make some.”

Freya purred and rubbed around the women’s legs as they waited for the kettle to boil.

Tea made, they returned to the living room. Freya dashed ahead to seize the chair again. The women chuckled and sat on the couch. As they chatted, the cat watched with apparent pleasure. The women barely noticed her, quite focused on each other.

“I should get home, Sonja,” Natalie said after a long talk, “Can we get together again soon? Maybe go out somewhere?”

Sonja smiled, glad to hear this sign of interest.

“Tomorrow? I have a couple days off.”

“That works for me, too. I’ll come over in the afternoon. We can figure out from there what to do.”

“Perfect.”

Natalie picked up Freya. The cat writhed and purred. Sonja gave the cat a farewell pat, trying not to think about how much she wanted to give Natalie a farewell kiss.

“Too soon,” she thought.

“Goodbye. See you tomorrow,” Natalie said when Sonja opened the door.

“Bye. Looking forward to it.”

As Natalie walked away, the cat looked back at Sonja. For a moment, Sonja could swear the cat was grinning. Then, in a flash, Freya winked. Sonja started giggling.

“You naughty little kitty. You’re playing matchmaker for your person, aren’t you?” Sonja said softly.

She went into the house feeling happier than she had in a long time.