Life had been as normal at work today.  Chatting with the usual people, sharing the same little jokes and smiles with my co-workers.  But Harry hadn’t shown up for lunch like he normally did when he was out in the studio.

At the time, I brushed the concern out of my mind, figuring he got caught up in recording a song with the boys, or Niall had ordered take-out from Nando’s.  There was probably a logical reason for me not to worry about him.

But all the same, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his car parked in the driveway when I came home. 

Opening up the door and stepping inside, I heard Harry’s husky voice speaking to someone.  Maybe the boys had come over today?  I hadn’t heard about any plans for them to come over, but I’d quickly learned after I had become Harry’s girlfriend that his friends were impulsive. 

Harry chuckled at something, and the sound had me smiling as I closed the opal-coloured door behind me.  I was sure glad I had stocked up on snacks this week, the boys were like tigers that hadn’t eaten in days when they were hungry. 

Strangely though, as soon as the door clicked shut, Harry stopped talking suddenly, and the house became eerily silent.  “Love, is that you?”  He called out as I meandered into the kitchen.  Laying my purse aside, I answered him.

“Yeah, are the boys over today, Harry?”  I asked curiously, wondering why everyone was so quiet.  Maybe I’d put off the snacks for a bit and see if anything was wrong first. 

I walked towards the living room, my shoes tapping gently on the tile of the kitchen floor.  Harry began to answer me, but cut himself off.  “No, but–Hey, come back here you little–”  There was a loud thump and I winced.

What in the world was he doing?  Had he fallen off the couch?  The thought of that was enough for me to pick up my pace, at least, until a tiny grey fluffball bounded up to me.

Its little amber/gold eyes were wide with curiosity as they took in everything around them in a silent wonderment.  I knelt down, petting the soft fur of the kitten.  “Harry, what is this?”  I asked softly, giggling softly as the kitten licked my fingers with her rough tongue.

Picking her up, I cradled her up against my chest.  She began to purr, a happy little sound as I stroked her head with a finger. 

Harry then appeared in the doorway, brushing his curly brown locks out of his green eyes.  A sheepish smile was on his face as he walked over to me.  “Surprise, Baby. I was passing by the pet store today during lunch break, and I saw her playing in the window,” a soft chuckle passed his lips and he glanced at me.  “And I thought a little kitten would be cute in our house, so I brought her home.”  He finished, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, the action making me smile widely.

Before I could speak, Harry started talking again, clearly worried about how I would react to a little kitten.  Which was the cutest thing I had ever seen, honestly. 

“You’re okay with her, right?  I can take her back if you don’t want–”  I cut him off abruptly, laying a finger on his lips. 

“I love her.”  I whispered softly, and Harry beamed excited.  “What’s her name, H.?”  I asked, making him smirk.

“Stella.  She seemed like a Stella.”  He answered, reaching out his hand to tickle under the sleepy kitten’s chin.  The action had her purring even louder as she gazed at us from between half-closed eyes. 

I leaned against Harry, letting him wrap his arms around me.  “Stella makes up for the worry you caused me when you didn’t show up for lunch today…”  I murmured, and I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me.

“I knew I was forgetting something…  Sorry, Jazzy; I got caught up with Stella and didn’t even think to text you.”  He said apologetically, but I just swatted his shoulder gently.

“It’s okay, Harry.”  I whispered, tilting my head up to kiss him.  He returned it eagerly, his long hair falling from where he’d tucked it behind his ears to brush against my cheeks. 

Stella just purred contentedly from where she was sandwiched between us. 

Ava R. is a homeschooled farmgirl who’s been writing for about 2-3 years. They found their passion for writing to be in fanfiction or fantasy stories about mythical creatures.  In their spare time, they enjoy working with their animals, reading, and writing!