Rain drummed on Lena's window just as she finished her homework. A summer storm had darkened the sky, and wind pushed the tree branches back and forth. When lightning flashed, Lena heard a thin cry outside.

At first she thought it was a bird. Then the sound came again—meow, meow—from the bushes near the front steps.

Lena hurried to the door. "Dad, I think a cat is out there!"

Her dad looked through the glass. A small gray cat was crouched under a bush, its fur pasted flat by the rain. Each time thunder rumbled, the cat pressed lower into the mud. Lena felt a twist in her stomach.

Dad opened an umbrella, and Lena carried an old towel. They moved slowly so they would not scare the cat. When Lena knelt down, she spoke in the same gentle voice she used with her baby cousin. "It's okay," she whispered. The cat blinked at her and gave a weak meow. After a few minutes, Dad was able to scoop it up.

Inside the garage, they dried the cat and gave it water in a shallow bowl. Lena taped a sign on the mailbox that read FOUND CAT and drew a picture of its white paws. The next morning, a neighbor named Mrs. Cruz came by. Her cat, Pebble, had slipped out during the storm.

When Mrs. Cruz thanked Lena, Lena smiled with relief. Pebble rubbed against her leg before going home, as if to say thank you too.