I know that they are reading to each other, but just the same I enjoy the pleasant burble they make. I can easily imagine I am the centre of their attention. I get lost in the sounds cascading and add layer on layer of my own sounds to theirs.

I can feel the vocal waves purring across my fur, the puffs of breath glancing off my back as I walk back and forth across their laps, can feel the tiny tongues of steel press paper on my toe pads, glad to have this time to socialize, I proffer my tailend to their faces, momentarily forgetting that this isn’t their custom. They only smile, understanding but not reciprocating or acting on my gesture.

They go on reading and I go on receiving the nearness of the gap between us, almost reaching their meaning and feel sure they reach mine.