The rescue who rescued me.
Her full name is Emerson Bennett Burris, and she is the most perfect tuxedo cat. In May of 2015, I moved into my second apartment. A few days after I moved in, I noticed this cat kept hanging around my building and sleeping under my minivan (yep, I drove a hand-me-down "mom van" for a while...#PoorPeopleProbs). It's important to note that I was never very fond of cats, and I was fairly sure cats weren't very fond of me.
Over the summer, I would see this cat roaming around the complex and sleeping under my van, figuring it had a home and was allowed outside during the day. As the months passed and the weather grew colder, I started to worry about the cat. I could hear her meowing outside and started to wonder if she was just a stray. October came around and I decided I would lay a few warm towels in a basket outside my door for her to sleep in. Sure enough, she started sleeping there almost every night. I put milk out for her one day, and the next day she brought me a mouse. That's when I knew I had to give her a home.
One evening, I left my front door cracked and placed a small bowl of milk on the floor a few feet inside the door. After about 15 minutes, this little cat started to walk in. I waited until she seemed ok with the place and closed the door. She slept in my bed that night, curled up against my arm, and we've been inseparable since. I'm unable to have children, but I couldn't imagine loving her more if she was my human daughter.
In German, Emerson means "brave and powerful". She is certainly that.
In Latin, Bennett means "little blessed one". She is certainly that as well.
I couldn't imaging a life without my sweet little muffin, and we will always have a special little bond.