Tristan purrs happily to himself. His eyes are closed, and he is aware of some large animal cradling him in huge paws.
He blinks, gazing into the wide, golden eyes of the Wolf of Gubbio.
"Welcome, Tristan!" rumbles the Wolf, rubbing Tristan's striped cheek with a large black nose.
"Welcome to the Meadow!" piping voices move over the velvet grass to the contented cat, lying in the paws of the great Wolf.
"You're here just in time!" exclaims Kizzy. "We're going to have a party in few days!" Kizzy rolls in the sweet grass, paws waving.
Norman nudges Tristan's head, and Bastian gives him a sandpaper kiss. Mr. Bug and his troop of kittens sit next to him, and other cats and a few dogs gather near. Bob and Jazz look up from their game and join them, moving through the emerald grass, and Joshie dances over to walk with them.
"We're having a birthday party next week," purrs a sweet mama cat. Her kittens are all grown, and one day she will see them again, and the kind lady who rescued them all.
"A birthday?" smiles Tristan.
"Yes," says the Wolf. "Next week, next Wednesday, we have one soft day of Winter, wrapped in pretty snow and icicles, and we celebrate a birthday!"
"And you are just in time!" says the mama cat. "It's His birthday — that sweet young Man with the scars on His hands."
"And in the meantime," laughs the Wolf, rising to his feet, "tag, you're it!"
Tristan races across the Meadow, his body young and limber and feeling so good! Bob and Shaddo are in hot pursuit, and their laughter streams out behind him.
"He came surrounded by love, like Kizzy," whispers the Wolf. "They blessed, and they were blessed."
Posted 3 years ago by Emma #
