A year ago, I adopted a cat. Unfortunately, this is not an adoption story. This is a story of rehoming.

A lot of people adopted pets during the pandemic, though I am not so sure quarantine made me do it or if it confounded with a unique set of circumstances. I had just returned from a month-long, isolating sojourn; my beloved pet of 14 years passed away; and an ex reached out only to reinforce they did not want me. I turned down a cross-country move and decided I should settle into my life and space more.

I joined a waitlist to foster a pet. The previous fall, I contemplated adopting a dog I found on Facebook. I promised myself I would reconsider after a weekend trip and promptly forgot about him save a haiku I penned on a Puerto Rico beach: