Today I cant help but reflect on the odd evening I had yesterday at my frugal friends birthday party.
She Was Never Truly Alone: An Ordinary Story
It was a late winter morning as daylight crept in. Outside, council workers scraped snow from the close with their sturdy shovels.
The heavy front door banged shut again and again, ushering in and out the flood of neighbours hurrying off to work.
On the sixth-floor windowsill, Felix the cat observed it all with quiet curiosity.
In his previous life, Felix had been a city banker, concerned only with money and numbers—never pausing to consider what else life might hold.
But now, he understood that kindness, companionship, and a warm roof overhead far outweighed worldly wealth.
Felix glanced back. There, on the old sagging sofa, slept Nan Val, his saviour and best friend.
He slinked down from the window and curled up at her pillow, soft fur pressed gently against her silvered head.
Felix knew Nan Val’s head ached each morning, and he did what he could to help.
“Felix, you’re quite the little healer!” she murmured as she awoke to his gentle warmth. “That pain’s gone, you clever boy—how do you do it?”
Felix gave his paw a nonchalant shake as if to say, “It’s nothing—I could do much more if you asked!”
But then a low, jealous grumble echoed from the hallway: it was Gav, the terrier.
Gav had been Nan Val’s loyal companion for many years.
At the first sound of unfamiliar footsteps, he always barked with gusto, protecting his home and the woman he loved.
No doubt he fancied himself the true master of the flat.
“What was he in a past life?” mused Felix. “A police constable, maybe—or a foreman. Loud and bossy, but perhaps that’s just what a guard dog should be!”
“My darlings, what would I do without you?” Nan Val sighed fondly, shuffling to her feet. “Now, time for breakfast—then off for a little walk.”
“And if the pension comes in this week, I’ll buy us a chicken!”
At the word “chicken,” a wave of excitement swept the room.
Felix kneeded the sofa with his paws, purring so loudly it made Nan Val chuckle. He nuzzled her thin arthritic hand with his broad furry head.
“Oh, you wise old boy—you understand every word, don’t you?” she sighed in delight. Gav barked in agreement and bumped his cold nose against her knee.
“They’re such loving souls,” Nan Val thought, smiling. “Home is warmer and the heart less lonely with them near.”
“When I’m gone, who knows what comes next? Everyone’s got an opinion, but who can say for sure?
If I had my choice, I’d come back as a cat—so long as a kind person would take me in. As a dog, I don’t think I’d manage—all that barking. I’m too soft-spoken for that. But a cat? I’d make a gentle, affectionate one, I’m sure. Just let me land with good people.”
“Goodness gracious, what strange ideas!” she scolded herself. “That’s what old age does to your mind.”
She didn’t notice Felix’s sly whiskered smile as he glanced at Gav, silently thinking: “See—she wants to be a cat, not a dog.”
After all, Felix had learned to read minds these days—a rather nice bonus, really.
And that’s how things stood, in their little flat above the snowy streets of England. She Was Not Alone. An Ordinary Story A soft, pearly dawn stretched out across a late winter morning.
I took a DNA test and immediately regretted it I ended up tying the knot because I found out my girlfriend
Uncle, pleasetake my little sister, the child’s voice cracked, thin as a winter wind.
After I told my wife that her daughter wasnt really my responsibility, the truth about our family finally came out.
I cannot make sense of why I ever became his wife. We were married not long ago. Id been convinced my
I’ll Always Be With You, Mum: A Heartfelt True Story That Will Make You Believe
Grandma Val couldn’t wait for the evening to arrive. Her neighbour Natalie, a kind-hearted woman in her late forties, had told her something so extraordinary that her head was spinning. And to prove her point, Natalie had even invited her round in the evening to show her something special.
It had all started with a simple chat that morning. Natalie popped in on her way to the shop:
“Need me to pick anything up, Gran Val? I’m off to the corner shop for bits and pieces and fancy baking a pie.”
Gran Val replied, “You’re such a good soul, Natalie. I’ve known you since you were a girl. It’s a shame you never settled down, always on your own. But you never seem sad, not like some.”
“What’s there to complain about, Gran Val? I do have someone I love, I just can’t live with him yet. Why, I’ll tell you the story this evening over a cuppa. Bet you’ll be glad for me—and stop worrying!”
Natalie brought Val some bread and sweets for tea, and soon they were settled with mugs in hand, Val itching with curiosity. Natalie smiled knowingly and began:
“You remember, Gran Val, what happened to me all those years ago. I was nearly thirty. Had a lovely man, we were planning to marry. I wasn’t in love, but thought, well, he’s good. Why not have a family? He moved in, I got pregnant. At eight months, I had a little girl. She lived just two days before I lost her.
I thought I’d never get through it, parted ways with my fiance. Couple of months later, I began to pull myself together. And then—something happened.
In the night, I started hearing a baby crying. At first, I thought it was just my grief. But the crying kept coming. I went to the cot I’d set up—and there she was. My little girl. I picked her up, and she smiled, closed her eyes, and slept.
And since then, she’s come to me almost every night. She lives in another world now, has a mum and dad there. But she still visits me. Sometimes, she brings little gifts—though they never last, fading away like spring snow…”
Gran Val stared, hardly breathing, savouring the tale, and agreed to visit Natalie that very evening.
In the quiet cheery kitchen, as the air shimmered, a gentle glowing girl appeared. “Hello, Mum! It’s been such a wonderful day, I brought you these flowers.” And she turned to Gran Val: “Oh, hello! Mum said you wanted to see me. I’m Marianne…”
After she faded, Gran Val could only whisper, “Well, I never. It’s all true, after all. Your girl’s a beauty, Natalie. You’re luckier than you think, love. Thank you for opening my eyes—there’s more to life than we know.”
As Gran Val left, the flowers on the table faded away, but Natalie’s heart was full of hope for the new day and her love for Arkie, the man in her life. Someday soon, she’d introduce her dearest loved ones—Marianne and Arkie.
I’ll Always Be With You, Mum: A Heartfelt True Story That Will Make You Believe Ill never leave you, Mum. A story you can believe in Gran Violet couldnt wait for evening to arrive.
You just dont realise what happiness is Fifty thousand pounds? Nicola stared at her phone, reading the
After I told my wife that her daughter wasnt my responsibility, the truth about our family finally came
My husband inherited a small flat from his aunt, right in the heart of London. It wasnt much, just a
