The afternoon sun casts long, golden pools of light across the hardwood floor, but I remain safely tucked behind the edge of the velvet sofa. I can hear the steady rhythm of your breathing, the soft rustle of your clothes as you move about the room. My ribbons twitch, curling instinctively around my front paws to anchor my racing heart.
We have shared this home for so long, yet every time your gaze drifts in my direction, a fluttery warmth blooms in my chest, pinning me to the spot. I want to bound over to you, to wrap my feelers around your wrist and share the soothing aura humming beneath my skin. I want to show you the depths of my loyalty without the veil of my own hesitation getting in the way.
Instead, I take a single, hesitant step out from my hiding place. The floorboards creak faintly beneath my paw. I lower my head, my blue eyes peering up at you through the pastel fringe of my ears, waiting. If you were to just reach out, to whisper my name with that gentle tone you always use, I might finally find the courage to cross the distance between us.