The child had her nose pressed up against the window glass, staring at the basket covered with a plain red cloth. She had already called for mom, but her mother was finishing up baking bread, so she was intently watching the new arrival until things were done in the kitchen.
The cloth squirmed, and the little girl began to fidget in excitement. Without looking away from the front porch, she exclaimed, "Mom! Please, come heeeere!"
Finally, her mother appeared, washing her hands on her apron. She was smiling and opened the door, and the child bolted out to the basket but stopped short of touching the cloth or the wicker. She turned up and looked desperately at her mom.
The older woman laughed and kneeled down by the present left on their porch. "What do you think it is?" she asked lightly. Her daughter shook her head wildly, totally at a loss but thrilled enough she couldn't speak.
"Well, let's see," her mom relented and pulled the red cloth off the basket.
Four kittens popped almost right out. They were all of the same litter but looked different, particularly the jet black one next to the multi-colored calico with spots of orange, black, and white. The remaining two were pale red with little tabby stripes. All started mewing upon seeing the two females. Many paws were raised as the kittens begged to be held.
The little girl almost cried in excitement. She hovered over the basket but did not touch the kittens. Her mother finally smiled and pulled the calico out and handed it to her daughter gingerly. The child held it carefully, eyes absolutely huge, smile wide enough to start the sunrise.
"Do you know what kittens mean, darling?"
The girl glanced up at her mother and shook her head slowly.
The woman leaned over the basket, and at once was the most beautiful thing her daughter had ever seen in her life. Long, gorgeous brown hair sweeping across her serene, pale face, as she put a delicate though calloused hand over the wicker basket, resting it tenderly on the side. Her voice was sweet and soft as she explained gently, "Kittens mean love."
"Who loves you, mommy?"
Kind brown eyes smoothing down to look at her daughter. "You love me, don't you, Le?"
The girl nodded fervently. "Yes, mommy. I love you."
The woman smiled slowly and spread her other hand over her daughter's head, pressing back some stray hairs behind her ear. The calico kitten had gone limp on the girl's hand. "Well, you should give me a kitten to show that you love me."
Automatically, the calico was clinging to the woman's lap, where the child had put it immediately upon request. The mother laughed quietly and placed the kitten back with its siblings in the basket. She pulled up the wicker present, her child following.
"Who gave you the kittens, mommy? Who loves you?" her daughter asked, tagging along.
Her mother looked down at her with kindness in her eyes, but she did not respond, simply looking back across the apple orchards towards the small dots of civilization at the horizon.
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