Ghost grew a personality. They were no longer this threatening new life that crashed into my world, but rather an acquaintance. My cat, Toast, welcomed this new stranger into her life and made a home in Ghost’s lap. At first, I could sense the apparition’s discomfort when she would jump in their lap and purr away. They allowed this intrusion but never rested their hands on her. My guess was worry of hurting the small animal, which was completely understandable.
“Would you like to pet Toast?” I asked, eyes glued to my television. I brought out another video game for Ghost to experience: Super Mario Sunshine. The water levels were fun but also infuriating, causing me to start over more than I would like to admit. Ghost let a question mark decorate their face.
“She won’t hurt you. For one, she only has claws and no teeth so if she bites you, you’ll be okay.” Pausing my game, I looked to my side where Ghost sat, Toast gently kneading on their skin. “Watch this.” I extended my hand and gently let my hand glide across Toast’s head and down her back. She purred contently, enjoying the constant attention.
Ghost’s body read nothing but hesitant movements.
“Are you afraid of her?”
The apparition’s question mark faded into black again.
“Here. Let’s try this.” The only time I made actual contact with Ghost was when I was dressing their wound. They proved to be no threat but I was still afraid of something unexpected to happen. They were still an alien-like creature after all. My hand gingerly grasped theirs, their cool skin surprising me. The claws were sharp as to be expected, but the exposed skin felt like any other human being’s but with a slightly lower core temperature. Ghost remained still as I moved their hand to hover over Toast and then slowly let their hand fall on her white and brown fur. A sudden exclamation point was seen on Ghost’s face as their hand mimicked the petting motion.
“She’s soft, isn’t she?” I laughed.
Ghost continued the motion, slow and deliberate.
“It’s too bad you didn’t meet my other cat, Sparta. But that’s okay. I’m glad Toast likes you.”
The exclamation point morphed into a pulsing heart. Ghost electronically chirped at Toast, her reaction to chirp back.