Diary of a Quarantined Cat: Day 25

Last night I had a dream that I saw Nemo - he was just lying there underneath the window, basking in the sun. I pounded on the window just above him, trying to get his attention, but he didn't even flinch. I couldn't tell if he didn't hear me or if he was choosing to ignore me. Either way, my efforts to catch his attention were in vain. Yet I tried again and again.

I woke up feeling exhausted. Maybe I'd been thrashing in my sleep, and worn myself out. Or maybe I was just tired of giving my energy, even subconsciously, away to Nemo.

I still wonder if I'll ever see him again. If I do, it won't be the same. I've built a life for myself; I run a successful advice column and even have a fan base in the double digits! Something I never thought I'd have.

However, if I said that to Nemo, I know what he'd say: he'd ask me if I really found happiness in my newfound fame and fortune. He'd ask me in a way that would make me question it, that would make me think for a moment that I'm just kidding myself if I think it's anything special. But he wouldn't mean it that way. He'd mean that I'm already special, he just never thought I was the type to rely on external validation to believe it. Then he'd wink at me with his one eye (or would that be blinking?), and just say "I'm proud of you, kid."