My gf of 7 years passed away and all I got were these lousy cats

In all seriousness, my lovely girlfriend passed away a couple days into the new year after a battle with pneumonia and the complications that followed.

Her biggest pride and joy were her cats, Olive and Pearl (the black cat and the grey tabby, respectively). I was never a cat person so I never truly wanted any, much to her dismay, and our living situations throughout the years meant we couldn’t have any. However, a couple years ago we were finally able to move into an apartment with just the two of us and quickly she made plans to get a cat. Not even a month into living there did she finally get her wish by bringing in the little runt of a litter from one of her friends. She didn’t even consult with me beforehand but nothing I could have said would have stopped her from bringing in Olive. I remember the moment she first took Olive out of her carrier for the first time and she just broke down crying. At that moment I felt an immense shame of having not tried hard enough not figure out a way to get her a cat sooner. But no matter, she was finally happy and a year later she also brought in little Pearl, who she selflessly decided to let me name.

Everyday her cats would rest and sleep on her. Now they rest on her side of the bed. When I’ve been coming home from the ICU, they greet me but I can see their eyes linger a little at the door, as if they expect their mom to follow shortly after.

It’s hard to say how conscious my gf was at the very end, if anything I said to her would reach her, but I promised her I would keep her cats protected forever and that I would love them the way she loved them. She made me a cat person and I’ll always love her for that.