We made a house for her on the porch. Every morning, she greets me. Some days, she’ll come out to the truck when I pull up. She tells me all about her adventures and then rolls in the grass, letting the sun warm her. Feeding her is one of my favorite things to do, because she makes me feel so needed, so important. As a stray, community cat, she doesn’t have to stay. She didn’t have to make this porch her home or our family her chosen people to guard. It has been months now since she first arrived and I love her. When the kids forget their jackets outside, she sleeps on them. When the wind yells and I get worried, I find her safe in her house, eyes glowing and sometimes, I hear a little purr. When our blinds are open, she’ll hop onto the windowsill and watch us from the outside. She doesn’t want to come in, but just to know that we’re there. Likewise, I watch her, just to know she’s there, secure, warm, and cozy.
Beka Tucker 