The little kitten lay curled on a soft blanket in the corner of the shelter, his tiny chest rising and falling gently as he slept. His fur was still patchy in places, and his paws trembled from the weakness of having been abandoned for too long. But in his sleep, he was peaceful—because in his dreams, he was no longer alone.
In his dream, the world was warm and quiet. The floor wasn’t cold, and there were no cages or unfamiliar smells. Instead, he was back in the grass near a quiet tree, where sunlight streamed through the leaves like a golden river. And there she was—his mother. Her fur was soft and warm, and her eyes glowed with the gentleness he had longed for. She purred and nudged him close, wrapping her tail around him as he nestled into her belly, just like before.
Though the real world had been unkind, the dream reminded him of the safety he once knew. He could still feel the rhythm of her purring, the gentle way she licked his head clean, and the softness of her heartbeat as he fell asleep beside her. He didn’t feel hungry or scared in the dream. He only felt loved.
A volunteer walked by and paused beside his little bed. She smiled softly, watching him twitch his whiskers and sigh in his sleep. She had named him Lucky, hoping he’d grow into the name. He had already survived so much—left alone in a box, rescued just in time. Now, he was getting stronger by the day.
The little kitten stirred, stretching his legs. His eyes fluttered open slowly, still hazy from sleep. The warmth of the dream clung to him like the morning sun, and though his mother was gone, the memory of her love remained. In that quiet shelter room, with gentle hands that now cared for him, Lucky felt a flicker of comfort.
He might have lost his mother, but he hadn’t lost love. Not completely.
