Star was looking lonesome so we got her a friend. The pet shop assured us Sparkles was a girl. It turned out to not be the case. I was cleaning out their pen some time ago, and Sparkles ran off, never to be seen again. Star’s tummy started expanding. I have been bringing her inside of a night in an insulated box, and the other evening, in the small hours, she softly whimpered. I got up and stroked her. She looked into my eyes with a knowingness, two mothers together, sharing a moment. This morning, I peered into her box and there were babies. New life. There are always new beginnings. Just when we thought the world or our place in it had ended, we discover that we have only just begun.