The hurt washed over the girls heart like a cold wave.
Andrew shut the flat door slowly, let out a heavy sigh, and slumped onto the sofa. His insides boiled with anger and confusion. Hed just had a blazing row with the girl he loved, all because of some scrappy little kitten off the street.
The last half-hour had flown by in a blursharp words thrown back and forth, accusations, desperate attempts to defend himself. It felt like the ground had vanished beneath his feet, leaving nothing but this awful weight in his chest.
Emily had always charmed him with her gentle nature, her kindness, the way she wore her heart on her sleeve. Their relationship had been effortless, naturallike they just *fit*. But lately, shed been distant, wrapped up in caring for this stray shed found, like it had taken over her whole world.
At first, Andrew had brushed it off. Fine, she had a soft spot for animalsespecially the tiny, helpless ones. But then it got out of hand. Every conversation revolved around vet visits, medicine schedules, fretting over the kittens health. It was like all the attention shed once given *him* had been handed over to this scrawny, half-blind little thing.
When the fight finally exploded, Andrew laid it out plainthis cat was getting more of her love than *he* was. To him, pouring money and energy into a sickly animal was just a waste. Why not get a proper, healthy pet? One that wouldnt drain them both?
Emily took it badly. Called him cold, heartless, said he didnt understand what *really* mattered. The harder he argued, the wider the gap between them grew.
—
It had been an ordinary morning when Emily first heard the faint mewling outside her building. Shed almost ignored it, thinking it was just the windbut something made her peek out the window. And there it was: a tiny, shivering ball of fur, hunched on the pavement. She threw on her jacket and rushed outside.
The kitten was in a statefilthy, skin and bones, its eyes crusted and swollen. Its little tail trembled like it was barely holding on. Without thinking, Emily scooped it up and brought it home. The vets diagnosis was grim: a severe eye infection, likely to leave it blind. *»Treatment wont be cheap,»* the vet warned. *»And theres no guarantee itll work.»*
But Emily refused to give up. She spent weeksand a small fortuneon meds, IV drips, round-the-clock care. Every day, she cleaned its wounds, fed it by hand (it couldnt eat on its own), and whispered reassurances.
After a month, the infection clearedbut the kittens sight was gone for good. Friends told her to surrender it, even *»put it out of its misery.»* But Emily couldnt. Shed saved this little life. It depended on her now. So she kept him.
She named him Oliver.
The first few days were roughOliver bumped into walls, tripped over his own paws. But then something amazing happened. He *learned*. Within a week, he was navigating the flat like hed lived there forever, finding his food bowl, even using the litter tray perfectly.
And the way he *loved* her? If Emily sat down, Oliver was instantly in her lap, purring against her. If she was upset, hed nuzzle her hand like he understood. He wasnt just a pethe was family.
—
Then came the fight with Andrew.
*»Youre wasting your time,»* hed snapped. *»All that money on a broken animal? Shouldve got a proper cat.»*
The words stung. How could he not see? Oliver wasnt *broken*. He was brave. Loyal. More *alive* than Andrew had ever been.
She tried to explainbut Andrew just scoffed and left, muttering about *»throwing good money after bad.»*
And thats when it hit her.
The real blindness here wasnt Olivers. It was *Andrews*his inability to see what love really looked like.
So she let him go. No regrets. Because now? Now she had Oliver. And that was more than enough.
