Morning light crept toward the house in tiny degrees, first illuminating the bright green moss that grew in the cracks between the patio stones. It climbed higher, scaling the blue paint of the cottage. Filtering in through the window, it splashed along the length of a tall potted fern in mottled patches.

A faint musty smell hung around like old perfume on an aging starlet. A white cat stretched out, reaching toward the sunlight that had abandoned it but too lazy to do more than stretch. Against the darkness of the carpet, its pale curvature was a thin crescent moon adorned tiny cat paws. Furniture in dark grays and deep browns squatted with formal solemnity despite being liberally dusted with cat hair.

The white cat’s ears twitched twice and it raised its head to meow plaintively. Its tail began to roil back and forth.

Locks that hadn’t been turned in days clicked open.

“It’s just me, Grandpa!” Marvin called, pushing the door open and stepping into the house. “I’ve got your newspaper and all your mail.”