Niri

“Soft rain, afternoon of pampering”

The sky was covered with thick clouds, and a fine rain softly tapped the cabin windows. Outside, the forest breathed slowly, soggy and peaceful. Inside, the fireplace crackled with a gentle fire, spreading warmth and a scent of burnt wood that filled the air.

Niri was curled up in a blanket on the couch, his ears slightly drooping and his tail lazily swishing from side to side. His eyes were half-closed, and he was holding a steaming mug of honeyed milk between his padded paws. He was wearing only a light blue scarf his owner had hand-knitted for him weeks before. His lavender-colored fur, with soft stripes, gleamed in the reflection of the fire.

"Are you comfortable, Niri?" her owner asked, approaching with a smile, carrying a book in one hand and cookies in the other.

Niri didn't respond with words. Instead, she stretched out her little arms toward him with a soft meow and a faint twinkle, as if to say, "Yes, but with you it would be better." Her owner sat down beside him, and Niri soon climbed into his lap, curling up with a deep sigh of relief.

*As the rain continued to fall steadily, the human stroked Niri's head, right between her ears, just the way Niri liked it. Niri purred loudly, her tail waving gently, and every so often she lifted her head in search of more caresses. The warmth of her body and her emotional energy calmed the entire room, as if time had stopped just for them.

They spent the afternoon like that: without speaking, without moving much. Just existing together. Niri, happy to be with his favorite person, clung to every cuddle as if it were the most important thing in the universe. And to him, it was.*