“You’re crazy,” Marla said one afternoon, though her tone carried more wonder than reprimand. “But I’ll be damned if it isn’t working.” Ethan only smiled faintly. He didn’t know how long it would last, but for now, the cubs were alive, thriving even. That was enough. Soon Bella’s care became part of the cubs’ daily rhythm.
She licked their ears when they cried, nudged them back into piles when they strayed too far, let them gnaw harmlessly at her tail until she finally yipped and pinned them down with her paw. Their tiny bodies purred against her chest, the vibration running through the room like a hymn.