Cameo Finds Solace

When she arrived at her new home with Kacy Cooney a year ago, then-three-month-old Cameo was distressed. She didn’t know where she came from—maybe Alabama, maybe Mississippi; she didn’t know her mama—she was one of two litters nursed by one mama when the other died; she arrived at the rescue site in a Chick-fil-A drink tote; and worst of all, she was named “Angus Steakhouse,” since that’s where she was found.

Her new family immediately gave her a proper name—Cameo. Her coloring resembled the shell-carved souvenir Kacy had brought home from her recent Italian vacation. The technique of carving profiles from shells originated during the Renaissance. Cameo didn’t know much about the 15th and 16th centuries, but she knew “renaissance” meant rebirth. She purred, knowing she had been reborn from a misnamed waif to a beloved house cat.

And unlike the concept of making a brief appearance in a movie or TV show, Cameo raised her tail in self-assurance. She was, most certainly, the star in her own world.

A feisty feline who plays catch, practices martial arts, and wrestles with her dog buddy, Clover, Cameo is, nonetheless, a window-watcher. After a recent pause in a frenzied dash to nowhere, she happened upon Kacy’s novel, Seeking Solace.

Sitting in the filtered sunlight, Cameo opened the book and began to read about 27-year-old Solace Murphy, who moved to a tropical island after an abusive marriage. An aspiring writer, Solace enjoys her newfound independence and makes new friends.

“When I’m ready, I’ll find a way to fit writing in,” Solace says to one acquaintance. That sounded familiar to Cameo. Flicking her tail and twitching her ears, Cameo stretched her head around toward Kacy, who was reading on the other side of the room. Hadn’t she used a similar excuse recently? In true feline fashion, however, Cameo dismissed her guardian and fixated on the heroine.

As Solace is drawn into another controlling relationship, Cameo’s ears went back.

“Don’t, don’t!” she hissed.

The new man, who won’t take “No” for an answer, assaults her with roses-infused brutality. Meanwhile, another suitor lurks in the background. As he pushes himself into the foreground, he woos Solace with the comfort and stability she seeks. In learning to be a doorstop instead of a doormat, Solace finds her harrowing experiences have made her a better person.

Closing the book, Cameo glanced into the backyard from her favorite window perch. In her own life of self-discovery, she, too, had sought relief from distress. The feline admitted she knew abuse too well. She yowled a bit at the indignity of having been named after a chain restaurant and toted around in a drink container. But at least her life wasn’t as bad as it was for many compadres she met in the shelter.

“The future is never certain,” Solace had said. “All we can do is make the decisions that seem most likely to work for us.”

Confused about giving and accepting solace, Cameo made a decision. Having found comfort with Kacy and her family, she trilled, getting Kacy’s attention. Come here, it begged. Kacy obliged as Cameo rolled onto her back, ready to accept the solace of a belly rub.

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