The loss of a friend really hurts, especially if you’d gotten really attached to them. Sure, you can make more friends, but it’s just not the same. They’re not the same. You can’t replace one friend with another, but it makes it easier to get through life when you lose a friend by making another and building a strong bond with them.
It was a cold day as we drove through town, my sister and I having no idea where we were going. Our mom had something planned, but she didn’t tell us what. We’d drove for at least half an hour before we pulled up into the humane society parking lot, my sister and I looking at each other with a smile on our lips. It had been a while since we had put down our cat, and both Kelsey and I had been wanting another cat.

When our mom got out of the car and lead us to the main room of the humane society, we knew something was going on. Mom rarely ever went to the humane society with us, so it was a little unusual being there with her, looking at all of the cats in the crates. We’d been looking at all of them while walking around, seeing if any of the cats I saw online were still available for adoption, simply in case we were going to be getting a cat. I had looked at the black cats online, seeing as I got really attached to our last black cat, who had two teeth that would always stick out of his mouth and leave drool all over you wherever he rubbed against. He was my best friend, and I had missed him for too long, needing another cat to fill the void he left behind.

My mom opened one of the crates and took out a black cat with some white patches along her stomach, handing her to me. I gently took her from my mom, holding her in my arms and gently caressing her as she tried to get out of my arms. When I checked her tag, I was disappointed. She had already been adopted, so why would mom do this to me? I then looked at her to tell her she had already been adopted, but my mom just smiled at me and said “I know.”

When we checked out with her in her carry crate, I was so ecstatic. The whole ride home, I had her carry crate sitting on my lap, and I would often poke my fingers into the holes on the crate, saying soothing things to our new family member. The first two weeks were a test to see how she would get along with our other pets, and it went swimmingly. That whole time, she had prefered staying in the basement over coming upstairs by the rest of us, so I would constantly go down to check on her and just hang out with her. Eventually, she was comfortable enough to come upstairs with us. At that point, she had started following me everywhere. She could never replace our angel Bibi but she’s definitely filled the void in my heart.

Friendships come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes and can be formed in many different ways. However, not all friendships last. When a friendship lasts for a while, you should know by then that it’s a friendship you should cherish, but when it ends, you have to let it go and move on. Losing someone you care for a lot can hurt so bad, but by moving on and making a new friend to care for, you start to feel better. Don’t let the death of the one you care for most stop you from continuing on your path in life. It’s because of my baby Bella that I have started getting more confident and started putting myself out there more, making new friends along the way. While they’re not all people I care about the most or that impact my life, the one I care about the most will always be the reason that I am who I am today, and she’ll always be my baby Bella, even when she’s no longer here; just like our angel Cookie, who is no longer with us.