Flo has taken to following me around the farm. Tonight, for the first time in my life, I sat with a cat on my lap on the back porch, and she curled up in my lap and went to sleep. I’ve never done this before. Maria asked me if I liked it, and I do. Cats find spaces to fill and Flo has touched my heart. I think of her living under the porch for months in the winter, hiding out and then revealing herself to Maria in a snowstorm. Smart move. Since then, she has practically taken the place over. She is a bit of a thug, but a loving one. She is at ease around Red, wary of Lenore’s bounding around, and she hisses whenever she sees Frieda.