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Whiskers pattered down the hallway, his nose twitching. He felt confused. Maybe Mia had come to find him after all. He was sure he could smell her. Or was he imagining it? He looked from side to side, wondering where to go. Food smells were coming from behind him, but from the noise it sounded like there were people upstairs. Stairs…

He trotted over, and looked up the flight of stairs. They were very steep. Luckily, they had carpet, or he would never have been able to get his claws in to struggle up. Whiskers scrambled up on to the first step, feeling proud of himself. He licked his paw and brushed it over his ears to settle his fur before he tackled the next step. And the next…

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It took him a good few minutes to heave and claw his way up to the landing, and he rolled on to the last step, panting exhaustedly. His claws ached. But he was up! And he could hear voices coming from behind a door at the top of the stairs. His ears flattened back. They were not good voices. Someone was upset. The second voice was the old lady who had been with him downstairs. She was doing that gentle, soothing talking again.

The door was open a crack, and he peered cautiously round it. The old lady was sitting on the bed, with a girl lying face down beside her, patting her hair while she cried. Whiskers sniffed again. He’d never heard Mia sound like that before, but he was sure it was Mia. Would she be glad to see him? What was the matter with her? He hesitated by the door, uncertain what to do.

Then the old lady looked up and saw him. She looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled and held out her hand to him, rubbing her fingers together, her face hopeful. She wanted him to come closer.

“Mia, sweetheart, listen. I’ve got something to tell you. I’d have told you straight away, if it hadn’t taken me so long to get up those stairs.”

“Sorry, Gran. I know you’re not supposed to use the stairs. Oh, I should have told Emily’s mum ages ago that I wanted Whiskers to be ours…” a muffled voice sobbed.

That was his name. It was Mia– it had to be. She smelled right, and she’d said his name, even if her voice sounded all strange.

Whiskers bounded across the bedroom and looked up crossly at the bed. How was he supposed to get up there? The old lady stretched her hand, and scooped him up, smiling.“Mia…”

He had been right! Whiskers stumbled along the soft duvet until he was next to Mia’s tangle of fair hair, standing on a blue fleecy blanket. He nudged her with his nose, but she didn’t notice, so he did it again, harder this time.

Mia raised her head. Her eyes were blurry and sore from crying, so for a moment she didn’t understand.

Then Whiskers purred at her proudly. He had found her!

“Whiskers!” Mia gasped. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at your new home! Did you run away? Emily’s going to be so worried about you.” She struggled to sit up, and gazed at the little white kitten sitting contentedly in the middle of her bed.

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“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Gran said gently. “When you came home so upset last night, I had a talk with your mum and dad, and we all agreed. Your dad had been convinced that you should have Whiskers anyway. He wanted to bring him home ages ago, but your mum was worried it wouldupset you again. So Dad and I went round to Emily’s house, and talked to her mum, after you’d gone off to school this morning. We arranged for Whiskers to be your kitten. Well, and a little bit mine, for some company while you’re at school. I know you shouldn’t give animals as presents, butthink of him as an early Christmas gift.” Gran smiled at her, a little anxiously. “Your mum was so cross she had to be at work this afternoon. She wanted to see your face when you found out.”

“But what about the lady who rang? Miriam?” Mia murmured. Her mind was whirring, trying to take all this in.

“Emily’s mum called her to explain. She was very sympathetic, apparently. She lost a cat recently too; she said she knew how hard it could be.”

“So Whiskers is really ours?” Mia looked down at the kitten, who was sniffing the cat blanket interestedly, his whiskers looking remarkably white against the navy blue fleece. She reached out, and tickled him under the chin, with just one finger. She didn’t dare do more. She felt like there was a dream kitten in her bedroom and if she touched him, he might disappear, like a bubble.

But he didn’t. He purred loudly and gazed up at her with big blue eyes. He looked very, very pleased with himself.

“Yes, you are a clever little cat, finding your way up here,” Gran said, smiling. “I thought I’d shut him in my sitting room, Mia, I didn’t want him wandering all over the house, feeling lost. But he obviously found a way out. He wanted to come and find you.”

Mia nodded.“He’s sitting on Sandy’s blanket,” she whispered suddenly, a strange sharp feeling clutching at her chest.

Gran nodded.“Yes.”