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Bryant was waffling around in his usual feline camaraderie when Marge, his foster caretaker, came in.

The scent of her cloth drew him faster towards Marge and he began purring and rubbing his chin on

her soft skirt.

Alice, the freelance journalist at the local news channel, arrived at the Kitty Foster Care Center where

Marge worked as a vet assistant. She was accompanied by the cameraman, Rob, a tall, moderately fat

guy with a body that resembled Jonah Hill.

After the initial introductory chit-chat, Rob got down to business as Alice began asking questions

about Bryant, the cat, to Marge. It was a warm evening and the grass was just the place Bryant loved to

be. Rob's camera captured everything - including the beautiful, emotive relationship the cat had with

Marge.

As Marge recounted the tale of Bryant, Rob noticed that Bryant was a lonely guy amidst a lot of normal

kitties. Bryant was diagnosed with a condition that's practically incurable and requires patient and

consistent handling. For this very reason, it was hard to find a permanent home for Bryant who had all

along lived at the Foster Center. Marge had known him for two years. While all cats that came to the

center were adopted, Bryant as the permanent fixture seen by all, adopted by none.

Alice and Rob wound up that day; Marge, the picture of melancholy serenity that comes with the

acceptance of fate. Alice welled up as they left the Foster Care that evening.

* *

Back home, Rob turned on the lights of his silent and lonely house with its spartan contents. There

were dishes to do, books to read, videos to process and a music player to charge-up. He looked around,

the intensity of the silence getting to him yet again.

Bryant rolling in the grass, his fur gleaming in the twilight - the images flashed through momentarily.

Rob heaved a solemn sigh and continued onwards to meet his nightly routine.

* *

Rob switched on his computer to process the video he shot that evening. The interview was due to be

turned in for the slots by tomorrow. Every now and then, he'd check his phone - for notifications that

never came, for calls that no one made, for a hope that was rapidly going down the drain.

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At about 11.00pm, he wrapped up his work, drank the rest of his beer and hit the sack.

* *

Early next morning, Rob made a dash to the Foster Care Center. On the way to the center, he called

Alice and told her that he had gotten hold of his neighbor and friend (who was married) and convinced

him to adopt Bryant. He added that this would let Rob visit Bryant very often.

At the Foster Care, Rob rushed in only to find an empty reception desk. The whole place seemed eerily

deserted but one guy came out of an adjacent room. Upon being asked where Marge was, the guy said

that she was attending to Bryant who was in the emergency room.

Out of the glass, Rob saw a group of vets operating on Bryant. Marge was standing in the corner, tears

running down her cheek.

When she finally came out, she told Rob that Bryant - who was okay by then - went through this lapse

occasionally. It was the disease he was infected with.

Rob informed her of his friend who was willing to adopt Bryant and Marge nodded her head, saying

that she'll look into it. A few days later, Rob met with Marge to ask her about the adoption. Not finding

her elicit a happy response this time again, Rob asked her what the problem was. Marge did notelaborate but she did invite the friend to come over and see Bryant.

When they did come over, Marge seemed very uncomfortable and ultimately refused to let the couple

adopt Bryant citing medical condition.

* *

Weeks passed. Summer set and the rains lashed. Spring breathed fresh air into the city. Rob had, bythen, brought in multiple families to adopt Bryant - his own parents staying 200 miles away, his

cousins, his friends from work. Alice had moved in with her boyfriend and came around to adopt

Bryant.

But Marge had cited one or the other reason to refuse sending Bryant away. He had had no other

emergencies in the meantime and was, in fact, showing signs of relief. By that time, Bryant had formed

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as close a bond with Rob as with Marge.

* *

Ultimately, Rob confronted Marge asking her why she was doing this. He asked her why she wasn't

letting Bryant get a better home than the Foster Care with so many cats and people around, and with

so little a resource.

In the confrontation, Marge finally faced up to her truth. She broke down and said that she was too

much in love with Bryant to let him go elsewhere.

Rob asked her why, if this was the case, Marge had not adopted Bryant herself. Marge revealed that

she was single, living alone - recounting a lifestyle that was akin to Rob's. Stoic frames of Marge's

lonely routine at home flashed through, interspersing with those of Rob's.

In that poignant moment of two lonely souls, Rob breaks down deep within himself.

Marge said that she wanted to live with Bryant, that she appreciated Rob's efforts to find him a

permanent home and that she in fact found Rob to be a genuinely good man but was afraid of finding

out that Rob had a private social life of his own.

As they returned back to the center, Rob asked her if she'd be willing to be his soul-mate. Marge gavehim a long stare and asked her if it was for Bryant or Marge that Rob was asking.

Rob said that it was for himself.

Marge giggled and said, "You can't be that bad!"

* *

About three months later, as the winter sets in, we see Rob shovelling the snow on the porch of his new

house, Marge bringing hot pancakes and chocolate with some catnip and Bryant playing in the snow,

as vibrant as he can get.