Blue can’t sleep. Mama read her an extra story, but she’s still tossing and turning. She’s too excited to fall asleep because tomorrow, daddy is finally coming home! Whenever daddy comes home, he always has a present for her. Could it be a cuddly toy this time? Or maybe a beautiful, warm jacket?
Blue is thinking and getting lost in her thoughts. Before she knows it, mama wakes her up. “Sweet Blue, daddy’s already here! Are you coming downstairs?” Before mama can finish her sentence, Blue jumps out of bed and runs after her, down the stairs.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Blue calls happily as she runs towards her dad. She jumps into his arms and gives him a big hug. “I missed you!” she says. Daddy laughs and hugs her back. “I missed you too, Blue. It’s good to be home again,” he says warmly. Then, daddy points to a big box next to the kitchen door. “Look, Blue. That box is for you!”
Blue’s eyes grow wide with curiosity. She runs over to the box and starts pulling at the flaps. The box wobbles a bit, and suddenly a small, white, fluffy creature jumps out – right onto Blue’s back! It’s a cute, little kitten with soft white fur and mischievous blue eyes.
“Oh, how sweet!” Blue exclaims. Daddy smiles and explains: “Blue, mama and I thought you were ready to take care of a pet. Since you’ve always wanted a kitty, we decided to get you a kitten. This is your new little friend.”
Blue jumps up and down with joy, the kitten happily perched on her back. “Thank you, thank you, daddy and mama!” she shouts joyfully. She gently strokes the kitten and then asks, “Can I play with her in the garden?” Mama nods. “Of course, dear. But make sure you take good care of your new friend because she’s your responsibility now,” mama says softly.
Blue nods determinedly. She takes the kitten, which she has named Ezy, into the garden. There’s a small, secure fence in the garden to make sure Ezy can’t run away. Blue runs around happily and Ezy hops after her. Together, they explore every corner of the garden. Ezy chases a butterfly, and Blue laughs at the little white fluffball that clumsily jumps through the grass.
After a while of playing, Ezy starts to feel a little tired and lies down. Blue is about to ask her to play again when Ezy lets out a soft meow. She looks at Blue with big, questioning eyes and meows again, a little sadly.
At first, Blue thinks Ezy is just tired from playing and enthusiastically says, “Come on, Ezy, let’s run again!” But Ezy stays lying down and meows again, a bit louder this time.
Then, Blue remembers what mama and daddy had said: she needed to take good care of her new friend. Maybe Ezy is hungry! Blue recalls when mama told her that as a pet owner, sometimes she had to put her own plans aside to take care of her animal friend.
She takes a deep breath and gently strokes Ezy. “Okay, I get it,” says Blue, a little disappointed that she has to stop playing but determined to take care of Ezy. She walks back to the house, with Ezy carefully on her back, and heads to the kitchen to fill a bowl of food for the kitten.
When Blue places the bowl for Ezy, the little kitten immediately starts eating contentedly. Blue watches with a fond smile and feels proud. “Good job, Ezy,” she says softly. “I’ll take good care of you, because that’s what it means to have a friend.”
When Ezy finishes eating, she licks her paws clean and meows softly to Blue. Blue immediately understands what Ezy means: she’s ready to play again! Together, they walk back to the garden, where they happily chase each other around in their safe, fenced area.
They play hide and seek behind the bushes and look for small stones and sticks to play with. Blue finds a shiny little stone and gives it to Ezy, who enthusiastically taps it with her paws and tries to catch it.
By the end of the afternoon, Blue and Ezy are tired and lie down together in the grass. Ezy curls up close to Blue and falls asleep, content and calm. Blue closes her eyes and feels happy. She has learned that having a pet means not only playing together but also paying attention and taking care of her friend.
When it’s bedtime, mama tucks in Blue and Ezy. Ezy purrs softly and snuggles up to Blue. “Goodnight, dear Blue and dear Ezy,” whispers mama. And as the stars appear in the sky, Blue and her new little friend fall soundly asleep, ready for all the new adventures they will have together in the magical village of Sunnydale.