Foul Weather Friend

She turned up last winter, starving. A couple of tuna fish cans later, I had a fan. I named her Oscar before I knew that "he" was actually a "she." Upon that discovery, I tried to re-name her Henrietta, but Oscar stuck anyhow. I began to find little birds and mice waiting for me on my porch. Offerings. She disappeared again when the weather started warming up.

She showed up again the other morning, screaming on my front steps. Still starving. I didn't ask her where she'd been. I gave her a can of tuna, and she settled in for the winter.