Tabs never knew his real dad. He grew up a stray on the mean streets of Mill Valley, and when he came to live with us, it was more of an employer-employee relationship, where I served as his gravy chef, deep-tissue kitty masseuse, fur stylist and executive assistant.
But he and El Hub had a very special relationship. It wasn’t really parental, but they had a deep friendship. If Tabs were here, he would wish El Hub a Happy Father’s Day and say thank you.
Tabs and El Hub went on many long walks together on the hill outside our condo, exploring further than Tabs and I did. They got into all kinds of mischief over the years, like the time Tabs cornered a shrew by the old oak tree, or the time Tabs found an unguarded turkey egg in the grass, or the time Tabs got into a fur-flying scuffle with a local Russian Blue over catnip property rights.
After a hard day’s work, they loved hanging out together.
