Leo's POV

The last few days weren't fun because of my bruising and thanks to my tumble down the hard concrete stairs at school the other day, my leg was still hurting. But I was able to do more around the house and let my dad rest with some well-needed sleep.

I loved doing all these things for my mother too, even if I was in a lot of pain. I washed her hair and brushed it out nicely for her. Helped my dad change her bedding and cleaned her tubes while my dad bathed her.

My arm was still bad as I wore a long sleeve around the house and outside while I did yard work that needed to get done. I spent most of the day out there pulling weeds in the back and the flower beds while my dad was at work.

To save money on gas my dad bought a reel lawn mower which you push manually without an engine. It was really easy to push around the yard and honestly, I preferred it over a real lawnmower but that was because we had a small yard.

With my music playing loudly in my huge oversized headphones, I was getting everything done in no time. Finishing up around the bushes in the front yard, I noticed something white underneath one of them and stopped. I pulled my headphones down around my neck as I stepped closer to whatever it was with caution as it started moving.

"Awe, poor thing!" I quickly reached underneath. My heart melted when I noticed it was a little kitten. I loved animals so-, "ouch!" I yelled as it lashed onto my hand and I pulled it out quickly to see my hand bleeding from its sharp little kitten claws and teeth.

It hissed loudly at me as I pulled the bush up a little more to get a better look. It wasn't very threatening though.

"Okay calm down," I told the little white ball of fluff as it swatted at me again but I noticed something was wrong. "What's going on here?"

I moved under the bush a little more to get a better look and saw one of its paws tangled in a string as it tried to run away from me in a panic.

"Okay, okay. Calm down. Let's get you out of there first. I'll be right back," I told it like it could understand me as I rolled out and ran inside.

I came back with a towel and scissors to try and cut off the string from its little paw. Once I carefully got its paw unstuck, I thought for sure the poor little kitten would run away but with all the fighting it did, I think it just tired itself out more as I wrapped the towel around it so it didn't scratch me again.

The one paw was a little swollen and fur was missing where the string rubbed it raw. I didn't want it to get infected so I brought the little fluff ball inside.

A few more scratches later and a cut on my face, SHE was cleaned up with a good bath and her paw was wrapped up. She just looked at me and meowed as I rubbed the top of her head.

"Look, I know you don't like it but it will just have to stay on for now. Come on. Let's go meet someone who I think will fall in love with those big blue eyes," I told her and started walking up the stairs.

I snuggled the little kitten against my nose as I pushed into my mother’s room. "Mom. Look what I found outside," I announced with excitement.

Before she had time to even react and open her eyes, I put the kitten down on her chest. Her eyes shot open quickly meeting her icy blue eye with the kitten's deep ocean blues.

They just stared at each other for a while before my mom giggled softly making the kitten tilt its head to the side and meow. "Well look at that," she said slowly. “Awe.”

Her smile was so beautiful and big it made me so happy to see. It's been a long time since I saw that smile on her face as the little white kitten rubbed against her hand and purred loudly.

"Goodness," she said before taking a deep breath. "How beautiful... as white as... winter." She smiled as she breathed deeply.

"Winter it is then," I heard from behind me and jumped around quickly to find my dad standing in the doorway. I was so wrapped up in watching my mom’s reaction that I didn't hear him come inside.

Oh no. I was so dead. He hated it when other people came up here to see her like this and here I was bringing a stray cat in here.

"D- dad. I… I didn't hear you come in," I said looking at him in fear.

"It's fine Leo, calm down. I haven't seen that smile in a long time. I'm grateful I came home a little early to see it," he said as he walked over to the bed, leaned down to kiss my mom’s on the forehead, then picked up the kitten. "Hello, Winter. I think that name suits you. Wouldn't you agree, my shining star?" He looked down at mom while petting the top of the kitten's head, smiling at her with love and adornment.

She smiled big again and nodded once before my father turned to me and handed me the kitten. "What happened to her paw?" He asked me, taking a closer look at it.

"Oh I uh, found her out- outside and it was caught in some string so after I cut it off, I gave her a quick bath and wrapped it up once it was dry," I told him truthfully.

He then turned around with a smile and said, "I guess Winter will need some food and a collar if she's going to be living here. I'll be back soon my love." Then he leaned down and kissed my mother on the forehead before walking out again.

I stood there shocked for a moment until Winter jumped over my shoulder and landed down on the bed. Slowly, she curled up on my mom’s chest, getting comfortable. It made me smile to hear my moms softly chuckle with a smile but I was also still in awe that my dad was letting the kitten stay.

The rest of the weekend went by quickly after that since I had Winter to take care of too but she learned to go to the bathroom in her litter box, which I hid in the upstairs bathroom, pretty fast. It was nice that she liked being indoors too and stayed with my mom more than anything.

I was so happy that she took more to my mom than anyone else. It made her so happy and that's all I wanted to see.

Once Monday rolled around my bruising was a lot better and easier for me to hide so I decided to go back to school again. I didn't want to fall too far behind. I needed to keep up my grades for college.