When the cat doesn’t come back

I had to wait to write this one.
On June 10th, a Sunday, with The Wife out of town, I awoke at 8:50 a.m., which is a little late for me. Odder still, Junior the Cat was asleep at my feet. Junior is normally up before the sun, demanding breakfast, so it was notable he had slept in. Still, when I got up to push the perk button on the coffee maker, Junior followed. I threw a scoop of kibble in his bowl but he opted instead to make his first trip of the day outdoors. Sometimes he does this. These pr