He's too small for the tree and he doesn't care. Both paws wrapped around the trunk, chin up, eyes wide at whatever he can see up there. Probably a bird. Probably nothing. Either way, he's committed. The gray fur is still baby-soft, sticking out in every direction like he lost an argument with a brush. One ear has a tuft that defies physics. I remember this feeling. Being small enough that everything is a mountain, and climbing it anyway because someone you love is watching. That's the part that gets you. Not the climbing. The watching. Somebody is standing right there with a held breath, ready to catch him if the world wobbles. It always wobbles a little. That's what family is for. He slips an inch. Holds on. Tries again. Nobody claps. Nobody needs to. The bark is rough and he doesn't notice. The light is green and soft and going. In a week he'll be at the top. Right now, being halfway is the whole victory. #kitten #tendermoments #babycat
