Page 50 of Three Meows

“Well, maybe just a little…” he mumbled.

I laughed.

“Then let me make you some food. After all, I want you, all of you, to have a home here.”

We shared a wonderful meal and when the night came I did not sleep alone.

First, Cheddar came in with his tail high and jumped right onto my chest, knocking the air out of my lungs.

Then Marshmallow followed, taking cautious steps towards the bed until I stretched out my hand, inviting him in.

Shadow… Shadow suddenly was just there, at the foot of the bed, yellow eyes staring at me as if he could see to the depth of my soul.

I gathered all three cats close and petted them until the bed felt like one of those hotel massage machines with all the purring.

And maybe Cheddar woke me up with his relentlessness even in sleep, maybe Marshmallow’s fur tickled my nose and made me sneeze, maybe Shadow startled in the middle of the night from a nightmare and sunk his claws into my leg…

But it was still worth it.

Home isn’t where the food is, I thought with a sleepy smile.It’s where your cats are.

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