They Left the Maternity Ward Together, Just the Two of Them. No One Was There to Welcome Them, No Cameras Flashing, No Bouquets of Flowers—And It Would Have Seemed Odd Anyway, Giving Flowers to a Man…

So they stepped out of the maternity ward together. Just the two of them. No one was there waiting for them, nobody filming, no crowd handing out flowers. And, honestly, blokes getting flowers would be odd anyway.

No, his mum was alive, perfectly healthy. She just… didnt want the kid. Not at all. She told her husband right away at the startno beating around the bush. But he kept holding on, begging her to reconsider, even tried a bit of gentle arm-twisting.

After all, he was nearly forty and still hadnt had children. What if this was his only shot at carrying on the family line? They struck an agreement Shed have the baby, then theyd get a divorce straight away, and shed pay child support without a fuss.

At first, James wanted to refuse ithis pride got in the way. But his ex-wife just said, Lifes long. You never know what could happen. Youre not a spring chicken anymore, and Im still a lot younger. I might not want the child now, but hes still mine. At least youll have a little safety net for later on.

So the sleepless nights began, but James wasnt fazed. There’re loads of single mums everywherewhy should he be any worse? Loads of kids grow up just fine in all sorts of families So James, or Jim as his mates called him, didnt see what the problem wasplenty of blokes manage, and kids dont wilt just because theyre raised by their dads. No, little Charlie Jameson thrived, put on weight, and was a really happy lad.

But as Charlie got older, the questions about his mum started coming up. How do you even tell a kid that his mum simply didnt want him? James muddled through as best he could:

I found you in the basement, he told Charlie.

In which one?

Oh, just the one in the next block.

From that moment, the basement became this mysterious, magnetic place for Charlie. On walks, if his dad got distracted, Charlie would squint through old grates and softly call out for his mum. But the only answer he ever got was silence.

But then, one day One day Charlie actually heard something! His heart nearly stoppedand then it started racing so fast he couldnt hear anything but it banging in his chest.

The front door to the block was ajar, and Charlie dashed down to the basement. It felt pitch black at first, but his eyes soon adjusted. Charlie crept further in, trying to shout, but his throat closed up with the sobs, and all he could manage was a blubbering whisper:

Mum, mummy, are you here? Its meCharlie Ive come to find you!

But no mum replied. Charlie stopped, sniffled, and tried to listen harder. There was a faint rustle in the corner, and brushing away tears with a grubby fist, he went towards the sound.

Maybe, he thought, his mum was really unwell. Otherwise shed have found him ages ago. Never mind, hed find her now, and shed be so glad to see himshe just would!

Charlie kept moving, crying but somehow smiling too. All his friends had mums, and nownow he would too! Except, in the far corner on a pile of rags, all he found was a cat. A cat, giving him a rather wary stare, doing her best to hide her tiny kitten underneath.

Mum? he whispered.

The disappointment just about broke him in two, his knees went weak and he sank heavily onto the floor. But then he looked up again and stared at the cat

When youre only five, your thoughts are different. Logic has a different meaning. Sometimes its more honest, and, weirdly, much clearer than the grown-up sort.

Charlie gazed and pondered He remembered Lucy from his nursery group. She always boasted about her glorious mane of hair and claimed her dad was a centaur. And Ben swore blind his father was an alien. So why couldnt Charlies mum be a cat?

And the cat seemed to understand that this little boy meant her and the kitten no harm at all. She edged closer and rubbed her head against his tiny hand.

So you really are my mum, then? Charlie asked, so hopeful that he convinced himself right there and then. Hed have punched anyone who dared say otherwise. The boy grabbed and hugged the cat, and the cat, in her own way, hugged him back.

James didnt notice his sons disappearance at first. When he did, panic set in and he started shouting.

Charlieeeee! Charlie, where are you? Oi! Charlie-boy!!

A few painfully long minutes passed, adding a whole new batch of grey hairs to Jamess head, and then, out of the basement, came Charlie.

He walked slowly up, holding the cat and her kitten close. He told his dad,

Ive found my mum. And I think this is my little sister They were down in the basement, the one where you found me.

James frozehe hadnt a clue what to say. Should he tell his son the whole truth? But how on earth do you say stuff like that? So he just nodded and went along with it.

How did you know it was her? he asked.

Charlie shrugged. I just knew She looked at me like only mums do. Dad, lets go home. I think Mums pretty tired.

Charlie was over the moonhed found his mum! Even though his sister turned out to be a brother, that was even bettermore fun for boyish games, and at bedtime, Mum could purr them both a goodnight story.

At nursery, the other kids backed him up. So what if his mum was a cat? Kieran once told everyone his dad was an airplaneand even brought in a photo to prove it.

James worried for a while, not sure how to even begin having this conversation with his son, or how to explain thats not really how things work. But seeing Charlie so happy, he just shrugged and let it go. Things always seem to work themselves out, dont they?

From that day, the house was total mayhem. Charlie and the cats would leap about, causing havoc; pretty soon the three of them had turned that flat upside down. The cat was so young herself, and always up for a bit of mischief with the lads.

You lot are driving me round the bend! James would shout, trying to put everything back in its place.

Charlie, cat and kitten would pause, glance at James, then share a look and race off to cause more trouble. Why? Becausewell, Mum said it was okay!