Let the record play

You choose the record because you know the first song by heart. The sleeve has a soft corner from years of being taken out and put away, and someone has written a name inside that is not yours.

Before the needle reaches the vinyl, the cat appears. Apparently this is a routine with room for two.

The familiar part

The player lives on a low cabinet beside the window. A few records lean against the wall, never quite in the order you meant to keep them. You sit on the window seat with the empty sleeve across your knee.

Your cat steps up beside you, rubs against your rolled sleeve and waits for your hand to find the right place behind an ear. A narrow rose-coloured collar catches the light for a second, then disappears into the silver fur.

You remember choosing it on an otherwise forgettable afternoon. Now its colour is as familiar as the mark on the floor beside the cabinet or the tiny pause before this record begins.

Stay for the other side

The music is low enough that you can still hear the street. A door closes downstairs. A bicycle bell rings once. The room carries on being a room, only with a song running through it.

You had planned to put the record on while doing something useful. Instead, you stay where you are, one hand resting along the cat's back, watching the curtain move.

When the first side ends, you wait a moment before standing. The cat opens one eye as though you have interrupted an important arrangement. You turn the record over and return to your place.

By the last track, the light has moved off the floor. There is still time for the ordinary evening things. For now, the sleeve is warm from your knee, and the seat beside you is occupied.

Find a little something for your next outing

Explore Crystal Paws collars and matching sets for the everyday moments you share. Check each design's materials, size information and included pieces before choosing. For help with a particular option, email hello@crystalpawsco.com. We reply within 24 hours.