“Doris?” The old man spoke quietly from the doorway. She sat in a chair by the window, wordlessly watching the birds. It had always been her favourite pastime.
She didn’t answer but he didn’t, mind, she never did… He pulled up his own chair and sat close to her. “I’ve brought you something… It’s a cat.
Here…” he placed the stuffed toy on her lap and she stroked it absentmindedly. Her eyes never left the birds.
“I thought you might name her Greta. She’s black like Greta. She was your favorite, remember? She would sit and watch the birds with you every day. Never quite took to me, though,” he thought this elicited a slight smile, or maybe a twinkle in her eyes… He, had to look closely to see it, like Doris herself, it was only, barely there.
Originally published for Intagram’s Romance Writer Challenge July 2019, Ravishing the Romance Day 8 “Barely There”
Natolie Webb 