If you all have been on Derek's blog then you know who Ali is. This is a dedication for her. I know once when I thought my cat Tabby was dying I cried and cried until I couldn't breathe anymore. He was laying there not moving in the water where he fell. I tried to pick him up but I couldn't lift him. Then everything went black and suddenly I woke up in my bed crying. I went to find Tabby and I picked him up and carried him back to my room and cried with him on my lap. When I finally looked at his face he looked at me as if saying 'why are you bothering me? I was in the middle of a nap.'

I laughed because my cat likes three things. Eating a lot. Sleeping on my homework and in the middle of the floor, or even on my black clothes, he does that very often. And cleaning himself. My gosh, he cleans himself every waking moment he gets and the sounds he makes sounds like two sand papers rubbing together it drives me insane! But most importantly he must eat practically the whole 10 pound bag of cat food and hogs it all from Tibbit, my second cat. But the point was he wasn't dead like I was led to think, he was alive, me scratching behind his ears and he tilting his head happily and occasionally giving me the what are you doing you mad women! look. All in all I wasn't crying anymore because I was sad, but because it was all just a dream.

My Tabby had gotten me through some rough times. School wasn't my favorite of subjects and I couldn't really talk to my mother because she just didn't understand at all. But Tabby did and I love him for it. For being my best of friends, for knowing when I needed a kitty hug, for (not exactly a great reason but still one that was good at points) for not being able to talk in English. Ok not exactly the best thing to be happy about but sometimes I just can't stand people when they just won't shut up; you know what I'm talking about, but when Tabby wanted food he could talk a mouthful. Lol.

I cared about him more than anything or anyone. I was just 12 at the time but I imagined that if Tabby was able to turn into a human then I would marry him. Don't make fun I was serious. And then I found the book Faedra Bennett Custodian and instantly I loved it. I still up to this day believe in magic; you could say when that 2003 Peter Pan movie came on I was one of the people in the background screaming 'I do believe in magic! I do! I do!'

My cats are magic. The voices I really could hear in the grass were magic. People thought I was crazy and stayed away from me. But I knew I wasn't crazy, I thought that the fact that because they couldn't see the tree giants that lived invisible to those that didn't want to see were the people that were crazy. So now if you were to call me crazy or weird I take it as a compliment, even if I know it wasn't. Tabby is my hero and first and only friend that most people can see. But I can see many more of my other friends, now and I hope forever. Only if you tried to believe then you won't be just a human, but a person that is friends with anyone.

I digress, this is for Ali and for Derek. Ali may be not here in the physical world but she's here in your memories. Keep believing in her Derek, because even though I haven't met her before I can tell she still believes and loves you.