1 . Animals help lift my spirits in the darkest of times.

“You should get a cat,” my therapist (治疗师) said. “A cat?” I couldn’t even look after myself. I took a deep _________ and carefully considered the idea of _________ a pet friend into my life.

When Elaine came home, it became increasingly _________ that she didn’t understand “no”, “stop it” or “don’t do that”. I was beginning to _________ my therapist’s advice.

Elaine used my bed as a litter box, and after visiting a vet (兽医), she concluded that she just wanted my _________. She fought tooth and nail to get a(n) _________ of my meals. She’d _________ lick (舔) sharp knives when left unattended and eat anything that fell on the _________.

She stole my heart with her bravery and kept me busier.

I decided to start taking Elaine for _________, I could hardly leave the house before, but my heart couldn’t say __________ to her. Elaine showed me what __________ looked like. She didn’t stop to __________ the possible outcome of a situation; she __________ went for it. If there was a dog nearby, she would run toward __________. She jumped without knowing where she would __________.

And following her journey of adventures every day, I got the same __________ as she created.

Elaine __________ after a medical accident, leaving a cat-sized hole in my heart. I’m no stranger to __________, but that was one of my most confusing emotional experiences.

Our time is often cut unpredictably, unmistakably __________. Elaine was supposed to help me through more of my life. She no longer wakes me up at 5 am __________ for breakfast, but she’s still the reason I get up every morning.