FOXP2

 there is a sound from the door.
A cat calling, something like me ow p

Then silence.
Mee orp.
The cat makes strange noises, but that gene that governs language and speech is not developed in cats.

but it tries. Mee ow, and then a scratch at the door.

Get up and let her in. Business like, she runs across the room, through the open door to the kitchen.

There is food there, left over from the night before.

Now that the door is open, the one to the corridor, use it to go on to the bathroom, to use the toilet, first rites that never change. And then come back and get dressed. Look at the news on the computer, there is a falling star, a lump of dirt burning as it falls.

And read some more, Biden is doing better than yesterday.

The cat returns, makes a sound again, then she reaches up and digs her claws into the cloth of the black jeans, just behind the kneecap. Then she jumps up onto the knees and settles down.

Pet her on the bony head between her ears.

Purr