Sleep never really came. Clara remained in Henry’s chair, watching the kitchen clock advance through each hour. Shortly before dawn, she heard scratching beside the back door. Hope lifted her painfully upright, but a windblown branch scraped across the bricks. Bubbles’s food remained untouched when morning finally brightened the windows.
Clara telephoned the local animal shelter as soon as it opened. No white cats matching Bubbles had arrived overnight. The employee advised checking enclosed spaces and asking neighbors to inspect vehicles before driving. Clara thanked her, then began knocking on doors she had visited only hours earlier.