Little Zoë is a sweet little girl. She moves with silence, on “little cat feet,” settles into a spot and waits until I’m close before she sings out with one of her little trills to get my attention. This was one of those times. She’d snuck up into my empty cloth grocery carrier, settled into place, then reached out and chirped to get my attention.

Time flies. Zoë and her littermate Danï are both four years old, Nicholas Joseph is behind them at three, and the two girl’s mom, Joan Jet, is five. Then there’s the two boys, also littermates, Luke and Beau, who’ll turn nine the first week of October. All of them sweet.

And they all come up to give and get affection from their persons in this household. It really is a house full of love, and I’m so thankful I’m able to spend as much time as I do with everyone. It makes this home a vital refuge from the events in the outside world.