Sometimes, Bee missed his mom.

Not that life at Ree’s was bad or anything; it was really nice! Ree’s mom made dinner almost every night and he and Ree got to eat at the table together or in front of the TV. They even got dessert some nights if they were good all week! But no matter how good of a meal Bee was fed, he had an ache in his heart every night when he laid down and couldn't listen to the beating of his momma's heart.

He missed curling up on his mom’s lap as she watched late night TV with a beer and a smoke. He'd fall asleep there and wake up in the middle of the night beside her in bed, the gentle rise and lowering on her back signaling she was fast asleep. The TV was almost never shut off, so the hum of infomercials echoed through the hall as Bee looked around the room sleepily before laying on his mom's back.

Her heart thumped rhythmically, soothing the kitten back into a heavy slumber. In his dreams, the two danced around in fields of flowers away from all of the icky men she would find herself dealing with. It was just the two of them. In the world with everything against them.

Alone together.

Not anymore.