The Kitten Nobody Wanted (8 page)

“It’s nearly seven o’clock,” Mia said at last. “I wonder if Mum and Dad would mind being woken up yet? Or Gran?”

She climbed out of bed, and shrugged on her dressing gown, then padded out on to the landing, with
Whiskers following her. She peeped in her mum and dad’s bedroom door, but they were both still fast asleep. Dad had said last night that his best Christmas present would be a lie-in, so she scooped Whiskers up before he could go and leap on to the bed. He’d only been with them a week, but already he had a thing about Dad’s feet. He liked to pounce on them, and Mia thought that probably wouldn’t be Dad’s ideal way to wake up.

She crept down the stairs. Gran always woke up early; she said it was to do with being over seventy – she didn’t need as much sleep any more.

“I can hear you, Mia! Happy Christmas!” Gran called, as Mia hesitated outside her door.

Mia slipped into Gran’s little annexe. “You’re up already!” she said, in surprise. Gran was sitting in her armchair, with a magazine and a cup of tea.

“Yes, and I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got a special present for you.” Gran reached over to her little table and picked up a flat, rectangular parcel, wrapped in shiny Christmas paper with a big ribbon bow. Gran liked wrapping presents.

“‘For Mia, with lots of love this Christmas – and for being brave,’” Mia read from the gift tag. “I don’t understand.”

“Open it, Mia, you’ll see.” Gran nodded eagerly.

Mia put Whiskers down on the
floor, then started to undo the bow, and peel off the paper.

“Oh, Gran! It’s lovely!” It was a sort of box, with a beautiful painting of a cat on the lid.

“Ah, you haven’t seen inside it yet, open it up.”

It wasn’t actually a box, Mia realized, as she opened it. It was a hinged photo frame, made to take two photos, one beside the other.

As though it was made for two very special cats.

Mia smiled, her eyes blurring a little with tears, but only happy ones. On the left was Sandy, staring out at her, with his ears pricked up. Gran must have taken it just as he spotted a butterfly to chase, Mia thought.
Sandy loved to hunt butterflies…

And on the right was a picture of her little Whiskers, sitting on Gran’s windowsill. The winter sun was shining on his gorgeous whiskers, so that they sparkled.

“Thanks, Gran, it’s the loveliest present.” Mia hugged her, and laughed as there was a sudden rustling sound. Whiskers had jumped on to the discarded wrapping paper, and was pouncing backwards and forwards, chasing an imaginary something. Maybe when he was bigger, Whiskers would chase butterflies too…

Holly Webb started out as a children’s book editor, and wrote her first series for the publisher she worked for. She has been writing ever since, with over sixty books to her name. Holly lives in Berkshire, with her husband and three young sons. She has a pet cat called Marble, who is always nosying around when she’s trying to type on her laptop.

Lost in the Snow

Lost in the Storm

Alfie all Alone

Sam the Stolen Puppy

Max the Missing Puppy

Sky the Unwanted Kitten

Timmy in Trouble

Ginger the Stray Kitten

Harry the Homeless Puppy

Buttons the Runaway Puppy

Alone in the Night

Ellie the Homesick Puppy

Jess the Lonely Puppy

Misty the Abandoned Kitten

Oscar’s Lonely Christmas

Lucy the Poorly Puppy

Smudge the Stolen Kitten

The Rescued Puppy

The Kitten Nobody Wanted

The Lost Puppy

The Frightened Kitten