"Relatively, yes." In a lifetime as long as his, being within a year of each other was very close indeed.
"I didn't think you would have. I wanted to give you space. I figured that you could call out to me when the time came you wanted to see me again. You've never been shy in doing that before. And there were...things I had to take care of in my Knowe, of course."
As a cat and a King, he couldn't have her thinking that he was waiting around just for her call, although he had certainly had an ear open for it.