A Kitten For Ben

She was in search of the perfect book

Ben owned a little bookshop. It was his favorite place in the whole world. He loved the smell of old pages and the quiet peace of books waiting to be read. Every Tuesday and Thursday, a girl named Sophie came in. She had curly hair and a smile that made Ben forget how to speak properly.

Sophie always went to the romance section. She would run her fingers along the spines and sigh. Sometimes she would read a page out loud to him. Ben would listen and think she had the prettiest voice he had ever heard. But he never knew what to say to her. He would just nod and smile like a fool.

Then one day, February 13th, Sophie burst through the door. Rain sparkled in her hair.

"Ben! Thank goodness you're still here!" she cried.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing is wrong. Tomorrow is International Book Giving Day. My great-aunt Margaret is coming to visit. She taught me to love reading. She gave me my first book when I was little. I need to give her the perfect book. One that says thank you for everything."

Ben felt his heart grow big in his chest. This was his moment. He knew books better than anyone.

"Tell me about her," he said.

"She is eighty-three. She is very smart. And..." Sophie's voice got quiet. "She just lost my great-uncle George. They were married for sixty years. She is trying to be brave, but I can tell she is sad inside. So the book cannot be too sad. But it cannot be silly either. It has to give her hope."

Ben thought hard. He pulled book after book from the shelves.

"How about this one?" he asked.

Sophie read the back. "No. Too sad."

"This one?"

"Too silly."

"This one?"

"Too much about romance. She just lost her husband. It might hurt too much."

Ben tried everything. The warm books. The funny books. The gentle books. Nothing felt right. Sophie's hopeful face began to fall.

"Maybe there is no perfect book," she whispered. "Maybe I cannot find the right words to thank her."

Ben felt terrible. He wanted so badly to help her. But his mind was empty.

Then a tiny sound came from the corner.

Mew.

They both turned. A cardboard box sat by the door. New books had arrived that morning. Something small and grey was moving inside.

Sophie walked over and looked in. "Oh!" she gasped.

She reached down and lifted out the tiniest kitten Ben had ever seen. It was soft and grey with big blue eyes. It was shaking and scared.

"You poor baby," Sophie cooed. She held the kitten against her chest. The kitten stopped shaking right away. It started to purr. The sound was like a tiny motor.

Ben watched Sophie with the kitten. Her face was so soft and kind. And suddenly, he knew exactly which book she needed.

"Wait here," he said.

He walked to the back of the shop. Far away from the romance section. Far away from the new bestsellers. He found an old shelf with dusty books. His fingers found a thin green volume. The cover had a picture of a garden gate.

He brought it to Sophie.

She looked at the book. "The Secret Garden," she read. "I read this when I was little."

"Read it again," Ben said softly. "It is about a lonely girl. And a sad man who lost his wife. And a garden that has been locked up for years. They bring it back to life together. It is about hope. It is about finding beautiful things again after loss. It is about opening your heart when you think it is closed forever."

Sophie looked at the book. Then she looked at the kitten in her arms. Then she looked at Ben.

Her eyes were wet.

"It's perfect," she whispered. "She will love it."

The kitten purred louder.

Sophie laughed. "What about this little one? Who will give him a home?"

Ben shrugged. "I can take him to the shelter tomorrow."

Sophie shook her head. "Tomorrow is International Book Giving Day. I think it should also be International Kitten Giving Day." She gently placed the warm little ball of fur into Ben's hands. "He is for you. For finding the perfect book. For being so kind. For always listening to me talk about stories."

Ben looked down at the kitten. The tiny creature looked up at him with big blue eyes. Then it yawned, curled into a ball in his palm, and went right to sleep.

Ben felt something warm spread through his chest. It was bigger than happiness. It was hope.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted.

"You don't have to say anything," Sophie smiled. She held up the book. "You already did."

She walked to the door. "Same time on Tuesday? I will tell you all about my aunt's face when she opens this."

"I would like that," Ben said.

She left. The door chimed.

Ben stood alone in his quiet shop. The rain tapped on the windows. The books waited on their shelves. And in his hands, a tiny grey kitten slept without a care in the world.

Ben had spent his whole life loving books. But standing there in the warm lamplight, with a sleeping kitten in his palm and Sophie's smile still bright in his mind, he realized something.

The best stories were not always in books.

Sometimes, they were just beginning.

And this one, he thought, looking down at the tiny kitten, already felt like the start of something wonderful.

Total:900 words

Entry for: "The Writer's Cramp"  Feb 14th, 2026

Prompt: Tomorrow, February 14, is a very important day: International Book Giving Day! Write a story or poem about giving, or receiving, a very appropriate book.