Grief has a way of catching us in the quietest moments.
For Kate Cassidy, that moment came during a simple walk on the beach with her dog Nala—one of the last beautiful pieces of a life she once shared with Liam Payne.
On Tuesday, Kate, 26, posted a heartfelt video to Instagram, remembering not just her beloved dog, but the day she and Liam adopted her together—a memory now forever tangled with love, loss, and longing.
The Day Nala Chose Them
In the sweet video, the first scene shows Kate and Nala enjoying a peaceful beach day.
But then it cuts to something far more emotional: a previously unseen clip of Liam and Kate at the animal shelter on the day they adopted Nala.
Kate captioned the video with the words, “There wouldn’t be this… without you.”
She went on to recall how Nala was the only dog not barking in the room that day.
Liam pointed her out, and just like that, they knew she was the one.
“We took her home,” Kate wrote, adding with a hint of irony, “Now I need to learn how to get her to stop barking.”
Eight Months Without Liam
It’s now been eight months since Liam’s death—a tragedy that left Kate navigating heartbreak in the public eye.
The former One Direction singer died at the age of 31 on October 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
His toxicology report confirmed alcohol and cocaine in his system.
Since then, Kate has been sharing glimpses of her grief online, posting old photos, private texts, and personal reflections that capture the depth of her love and the magnitude of her loss.
The Texts That Still Hurt to Read
One of the most touching things Kate shared was a screenshot of a text Liam sent her just weeks before his death. Dated August 1, it read:
“Shall we go play tennis for an hour? I literally couldn’t love you more if I tried and somehow I will tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you.”
Short and simple, but gut-wrenching in hindsight.
A Life That Feels Like It Stopped
In a deeply emotional caption, Kate opened up about how her life still doesn’t feel real without Liam in it.
“Eight months ago today, I lost my best friend and someone I thought I had so much more time and life left to share with,” she wrote.
Kate described how even a few hours away from Liam used to feel like too long—how she’d rush home to be with him.
Now, she says, “Facing the reality that I live in a constant state of missing you is something I still can’t fully wrap my head around.”
She added, “Knowing I can’t just come home and see you, hear your voice, or feel your hug… it’s a type of pain I can’t fully put into words.”
Grieving at Her Own Pace
Kate admitted that time has felt strange since Liam passed—some days racing, others dragging.
“I can’t seem to tell if life is flying by without you or moving so slow none of it fully makes sense,” she wrote.
“But I am trying to live my life as best I can for now and live it for you.”
She ended her message with a familiar phrase that’s become a symbol of her grief: “I love you my angel444.”
The Meaning Behind 444
For Kate, the number 444 has taken on deep personal meaning since Liam’s death.
She now wears it inked on her hand as a tattoo and has a beaded phone charm that includes both “444” and the letter “L.”
In spiritual circles, 444 is known as an “angel number”—a sign that guardian angels are near and offering guidance.
For Kate, it’s become a quiet reminder that Liam is still with her, somehow, even if only in signs and symbols.
They Were Planning a Future
In the weeks that followed Liam’s death, Kate revealed that the two had even been discussing marriage.
While she hasn’t shared all the details, the revelation made the loss feel even more devastating—this wasn’t just someone she loved.
It was someone she planned to build a life with.