What Does Dad Dream Of?

All his life, George had dreamed of a son. He even had a name picked out—Thomas. But as fate would have it, three daughters were growing up in the family…

His wife Helen never lost heart:

“But look, what beauties we have!” she would repeat.

George smiled and nodded. Of course, he adored his clever little girls. Yet sometimes a pang of envy struck him when he watched the neighbour kicking a football around with his boys.

“Oh, come on, George! Your Emily does karate. She fights better than any lad,” his friend would say.

George laughed. At ten years old, Emily was indeed a fierce little thing. Her sisters—seven-year-old twins Sophie and Daisy—were just as spirited.

But still, the dream of a son never left him…

His daughters had a dream of their own—a pet.

“No chance. I can’t stand a creature that barks all day long in this house,” George brushed off their pleas for a dog.

“A cat will ruin the wallpaper. Hamsters stink. A parrot is far too noisy,” he dismissed every suggestion.

The girls sulked and even felt hurt.

“Natalie and Laura have two dogs at home! And nothing bad happens!” Emily muttered under her breath, but their father was unmoved.

“We’ll think of something,” Sophie said, comforting the others. She never gave up easily.

George’s birthday was approaching. The girls sat in Emily’s room, arguing over what to give their father.

“A thermos? A shaving kit?”

“No, that’s way too boring!”

“Well, you think of something then, clever clogs! We’ll just draw a card! Two days left until the party!”

“Oh, that’s so childish, like nursery school! The present has to be a surprise and memorable! That’s what Mum says.”

The discussion had been going on for half an hour and was threatening to turn into a fight when the phone rang:

“Emily, did you take out the rubbish?” Mum asked.

“Of course… we did. All done. Are you on your way home?” Emily lied without blinking. And once she was sure Mum wouldn’t be back soon, she rushed to get ready.

“We’re coming with you!” the twins chimed in.

“What, all three of us going out with one rubbish bag?” Emily frowned.

But a few minutes later, the whole group was out of the front door.

“Listen! Over there, by the bins,” Daisy said quietly.

The girls froze, then nodded. As they got closer, they heard a pitiful meowing coming from the dumpster.

“Surely no one would have stuffed a cat in there?” Emily said uncertainly.

Sophie just shrugged and started yanking out the bags that filled the container.

Her sisters wrinkled their noses but began to help. As if sensing help was near, the cat let out a desperate yowl.

“I hope it doesn’t leap at us. Why hasn’t it come out itself? Stuck, maybe?” Emily grunted, leaning over the edge.

On the other side, Sophie and Daisy worked energetically.

A few minutes later, they found the answer:

“Adults have completely lost their minds. Who would think of tying a cat up in a rubbish bag and throwing it away?” Emily fumed as she untied the rustling plastic that held a terrified ginger tom.

“He’s so handsome and affectionate! How could anyone dump the poor thing?” Daisy sighed.

The cat immediately climbed into her arms and pressed close, trembling.

“What do you think you’re doing, you little hooligans? You’ve scattered rubbish all over the road! I’ll be reporting you to your parents. Fancy making a game of this while your father and mother are out!” Old Mrs. Wilson shouted across the courtyard.

Arguing with the fearsome woman was useless. She was marching toward the girls despite her age.

“Run,” Emily commanded.

And the sisters bolted for the front door. Mrs. Wilson’s furious shouts followed them.

“Phew, I think we got away,” Sophie gasped, slamming the door shut.

“She’ll still tell on us. You’ll see. Remember when we broke the hallway window? She showed up straight away and told Dad that same evening,” Emily snorted, recalling their mischief.

Meanwhile, George was on his way home from work. He was in great spirits. The weekend and his birthday were ahead. He’d loved this holiday since childhood and was happy to spend it with his family.

Suddenly, a fortune teller appeared beside him:

“An unexpected gift awaits you, my dear! You’ll be happy, you’ll laugh!” she said quickly, touching his arm, then walked off.

“Strange sort of fortune tellers these days. They used to ask to cross your palm with silver,” George chuckled to himself. He paid her words no mind and hurried home.

At home, a lively discussion was underway:

“And what’s Mum getting him? Did you find out?” Emily asked her sisters, but they just shrugged.

“I asked, but Mum said it’s a surprise. We’ll all find out when the time comes,” Sophie replied.

That was odd. Mum usually prepared for Dad’s birthday with them.

“I saw her putting something into a gift envelope. Maybe a spa break? Remember, they talked about a holiday together?” Daisy said thoughtfully.

“Maybe. But our surprise will be just as good. And it’ll be unforgettable—a complete shock for Dad,” Emily giggled.

“The main thing is he doesn’t find out too soon,” Sophie whispered, putting a finger to her lips.

Just then the doorbell rang, and the girls rushed to open it. Their parents stood on the doorstep.

“You’re too quiet today. Come on, confess—what have you done this time?” Helen said, eyeing them closely.

But the sisters insisted everything was fine.

“We even took out the rubbish!” Emily reported.

“Good. Then why is the bathroom so wet?” their mother asked, heading to the sink.

The girls exchanged glances.

“Sorry, Mummy, I wanted to wash a T-shirt. I got it a bit dirty,” Daisy said, looking down.

“Never a dull day!” George laughed. He was in a wonderful mood.

The girls quickly went to their rooms and, without any fuss, went to bed.

“They’re growing up… Look how obedient they are today. Probably planning a surprise for me,” George smiled, kissing his wife.

“More like the calm before the storm,” Helen said doubtfully. She knew her daughters too well.

They had just fallen asleep when a noise came from Emily’s room.

“I thought I heard a meow,” George murmured, half asleep.

When they entered the children’s room, Emily was sitting up with Sophie.

“I had a nightmare, but it’s okay now. Can I sleep with Emily?” Sophie said quietly.

“Of course, sweetheart. Are you sure you don’t need us?” Helen asked.

The sisters nodded, and the rest of the night was peaceful.

On the eve of his birthday, George slept badly. He dreamed of a red-haired fortune teller. She meowed and stared at him with bright green eyes.

Finally, he opened his eyes and froze. Right on his chest sat a ginger monster, boring into him with its gaze!

“Meow,” the monster greeted him.

“Aaah!” George yelped.

Helen sat bolt upright, trying to understand what was going on.

“What? What is it?” the birthday boy stammered, staring at the ginger cat now trying to settle at his feet.

Helen blinked in confusion.

“Oh, Dad! You’ve already seen our surprise!” Emily said, trying to sound cheerful as she walked in.

The twins followed:

“Happy Birthday, Daddy! We decided to give you a memorable present. Meet Tummy. He’s a really good, calm, and well-behaved cat.

By the way, he’s been living with us for two days, and you didn’t even notice. All the sofas are fine, and the wallpaper too,” Daisy and Sophie spoke in turns.

Helen laughed as she watched George gasp.

“Don’t worry, Dad. Mum’s about to give you a spa break, and you’ll have a great holiday away from us. We’ll manage on our own,” Emily blurted out.

“What spa break? Wait, girls,” Helen looked at her daughters in surprise.

“But your gift in the envelope—isn’t it a holiday trip? I saw it myself,” Daisy came to her sister’s aid.

Helen laughed nervously.

“Seems nothing stays secret in this house,” she said at last.

“But what am I supposed to do with this beast?” George asked, bewildered, watching the cat purr softly at his feet.

“You see, Dad, it happened by accident. We went outside and found him in a bag… in the dumpster. Then Mrs. Wilson appeared. She was yelling. Well, you know how she is…” Emily began.

“We were scared and ran home as fast as we could,” Sophie added authoritatively.

“It all just happened, and the cat ended up inside. But we couldn’t throw him back in the rubbish, could we? We even washed him and cleaned him up. He’s very calm and patient,” Daisy said, tears in her eyes.

George sighed. The fortune teller’s words about an unexpected gift popped into his head.

“Well… That’s some present, all right,” he muttered, looking at the whole honest crew.

“Darling, maybe the girls are right. The cat is really pitiful. Think of what he’s been through. And he seems very gentle and affectionate,” their mother came to the girls’ defence.

George sighed, weighing the situation.

“He’ll catch mice for us too! I’m sure of it!” Sophie threw in the clincher.

“But we’ve never had mice,” George said sadly, looking around.

“Anything can happen—I heard some rustling behind the wall the other day,” Daisy backed her sister up.

“Alright, you little rascals. We’ll see how you behave from now on. And we’ll see how Tummy behaves too,” George laughed.

“Why Tummy?” Helen asked.

“You should hear how funny he purrs when you stroke his belly,” the girls smiled.

“So, what was the gift in the envelope?” Daisy wanted to know.

Helen blushed slightly. Then she brought her husband a small box with an envelope inside.

“No way!” George said excitedly, looking at the contents.

He couldn’t hold back his tears…

*****

“Of course, a little brother is wonderful. But I think our Tummy made quite an impression on Dad too,” Daisy whispered to her sister that evening, lying in bed.

“Our Tummy is a traitor. He slept with us for two days, and tonight he moved to Mum and Dad’s room,” Sophie frowned.

“Oh, come on. He’s Dad’s cat, after all,” Daisy giggled.

George lay happily in bed, listening to Tummy’s purring.

“Such a soothing sound. Why didn’t we get a cat before? I don’t understand,” he whispered, pulling his wife close.

“Enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Soon this house won’t have a moment’s peace,” Helen laughed.

“You know, I still can’t believe we’re having a son! Thank you, darling—this is the best gift of all!” George smiled and closed his eyes in pure happiness.