One Sunday afternoon, the author notices something unusual — his cat is missing. He searches for her and becomes increasingly anxious. The absence of his cat, whom he is deeply attached to, causes him great distress. He realizes how much he misses her, and this worry builds up in him.
His mother reacts with concern when she sees his distress. She recognizes how much the cat means to him, and she tries to comfort him. To help ease his anxiety, she assures him that the cat will return soon. His mother then encourages him to focus on something else to distract himself from the worry and to calm down.