Grandma folded her hands in her lap.
“I thought he was a stray.”
“He weighs more than you do, Mom.”
“Well, he never complained about my cooking.”
My father burst out laughing.
For the first time all day, the tension between them disappeared.
But Grandma grew quiet a moment later.
“Daniel, do you think he was lonely?”
My father considered the question.
“I don’t know. Maybe he was hungry. Maybe he was passing through. We can’t really know what he was thinking.”
She nodded slowly.
“I suppose not.”
Then she looked toward the woods.
“I just hope he finds somewhere safe.”
Weeks passed.
The wildlife officers never reported another cougar sighting near Grandma’s house. The food bowl remained inside, and my father added a few extra safety measures around the property.
Grandma returned to her usual routine.
She watered her flowers, fed the birds, and drank her morning coffee beside the kitchen window.
