Not long now. But they stood watching. Did she have enough time to head the wrong way and double back? All she required was a moment’s inattention.

There. She had found it. It was small and open to the sky but it was a forgotten corner where no one ever traveled. With relief she hunkered down just in time.

Some days later she was discovered. Once again the neighborhood stray had found another empty place around our house to birth her litter of four kittens in peace.