Mittens discovered the box first—a dusty cardboard treasure trove in the basement corner, practically humming with possibility. She meowed urgently, and within moments, Pepper and Snowball came bounding down the stairs.
"Is it..." Pepper's whiskers twitched.
"Christmas decorations," Mittens confirmed, batting the flap open with one determined paw.
They worked with the focused chaos only cats could achieve. Snowball dragged a string of lights across the living room floor, getting magnificently tangled twice. Pepper discovered that ornaments made excellent toys—batting a silver ball under the couch before Mittens's disapproving glare reminded him of their mission.
The tree was their masterpiece. Never mind that most ornaments hung within three feet of the floor, or that the garland wrapped around the trunk like a candy-striped snake. It was theirs.
From her hole in the wall, Maisie the mouse watched with growing delight. She'd been hoarding a single red ribbon for weeks, saving it for something special. This was it.
That night, while the cats napped in a purring pile, Maisie emerged. She climbed the tree with acrobatic grace, weaving the ribbon through branches the cats couldn't reach, creating delicate loops near the top. For the finishing touch, she arranged three pieces of popcorn from her winter stores into a tiny heart.
Christmas morning arrived with pale winter light. The cats woke to find their tree transformed—completed by invisible hands.
"Magic," whispered Snowball.
Behind the wall, Maisie smiled, already planning next year's contribution.
~Stacy Stephens