Maisy -- Al's Cat

On Alec's birthday last year, we were so lost. Missing him so much and not knowing what we were going to do.  Cassidy asked if we were going to go to the shelter and get a cat because when she turned nine, we surprised her and took her to the shelter and let her get a kitten.  We told Alec that when he turned nine,  he could get a cat too, just like Cassidy.  So this was Al's ninth birthday and we all agreed that we should go adopt a cat for Alec.  We all asked Al to give us signs and lead us to the right cat.  Cassidy had a few of Alec's favorite's to choose from for a name for the cat;  Suzic, Didick, Maisy, Elmo. We wandered around the shelter looking at all the cats and kittens. We got a room and Cassidy kept bringing cats in to play with them.  We saw one whose name was Cassidy, we thought for sure that was a sign-- she had to be the one. Keith and Cass went to get her and bring her in the room, but they said she was mean. I didn't believe them because I was certain that was the one we were suppose to get until I went to get her, and she was beyond mean-hissing and biting. Nope, not that one.  We looked and played with many but none were just right. I was getting discouraged,  we really needed Alec to show us he was with us getting his cat, that he was picking it.  So we went into a room full of cats and read all of the little bio's of them all -- their names, age, and personality. We read one who sounded perfect, so we started looking at all of their collars names to find it.  But couldn't find it. Then we looked up on top of a cabinet close to the ceiling and there was a cat sitting up there. There was a cat staircase to get up there.  So we started calling to the cat to try to get it to come down. We tried everything but it was not budging-- not interested at all in coming down.  We were bummed, but figured it must not be the one.  Then after a few minutes, the cat stood up and started walking down the stairs so slowly.  It was so purposeful, can't explain it.  So Cassidy quickly grabbed it and we checked the name on the collar and it  was Charlotte, she was 6 months old. This was not the name of the cat we were looking for, but  I had a special feeling about this, mixed feelings because during one of my crazy online searches to find comfort back  months before (I don't know what I typed in), but was so saddened and shocked to see this litttle girl named Charlotte pop up, she was a patient at the Jimmy Fund when Alec was. And now I was reading that she had gone to heaven around the same time as Al.  And this cat is named Charlotte, I just felt like they were letting me know they were together. (Keith and Cass didn't know about this). 
On the cat's belly was a skinny green line tattooed. This surely was Alec's cat because he loved to draw long skinny lines and green is his favorite color.
This cat was so sweet and cuddly and just wanted us to snuggle her and pat her.  We all felt that Charlotte was definately the one.  So we adopted her,  Al's cat.
From the moment we brought her home and still, she looks up and all around and stares and even opens and closes her mouth as if she is talking.  We always look to see what she sees, knowing it is Al, wishing we could see too.  She loves long skinny things just like Al-- she steals straws constantly from our drinks to play with them, she plays with skinnies which Al loved (the plastic piece that hold price tags on clothes). She waits outside the bathroom door for Keith to get out in the morning, just like Al. And she sits at the top of the stairs when Keith leaves in the morning, just like Al. She sleeps in our bed, just like Al. And she is usually in Alec's room. There are so many things she does that are just like Al.
Cassidy had decided to name her "Maisy", because Al loved his Maisy the Mouse stuffed animal. He said she was his daughter.
I later checked in on Charlotte's facebook page, because her family still posts and I was amazed to see that Charlotte had a dog and her name is "Maize".  I could and couldn't believe this. I felt that I was suppose to share this story with  Charlotte's family so I sent an e-mail telling them and they were so amazed too.

I just went online to check out the hotel we are staying in in NY,   Millenium Hotel, and they have a restaurant called Restaurant Charlotte .  Wow, on Al's birthday last year the cat named Charlotte and now on Al's birthday this year  the Restaurant Charlotte.