Mouse

Big eyes
Bigger nose
Round and soft
Plush like a pillow

Mouth open
Tongue lolling happily
Sharp teeth glimmering without a hint of menace

Ears flopped just a little
At the scrappy tips
Scruffy paws
Big paws
Too big
Awkward, sweet paws

That big face tilted just enough to say

Hey

What are you doing?

She smiled
She couldn't help it

"Not much.
You?"

She tapped the glass
lightly
With the pad of one warm finger
a happy tink sound
and a tail answered
back and forth as if powered by pure
excitement

She talked!

"What's your name?" she said
softly
as if expecting a reply
Soft words in a
Softer voice

A little silver bone shimmered as it swung
on a light blue collar
She couldn't make out the name engraved but at least
The sweetness had a home

"Where do you belong?"

A head tilt.

"Is someone missing you?"

A tail wag.

"Are you lost?"

That big nose pressed up against the glass
A happy breath fogging a cloud around it

She giggled
An actual giggle

"Silly goose."

Ears perked, head turned, tail wagged
Furiously, unquestionably happy

A voice from somewhere past the darkness
Called a name she couldn't hear
It sounded like a nice voice
Gentle

One last look from soft, dark eyes and a quiet
bark
Maybe a
"See you next time"

and it was gone
and she was alone

Smiling at the nose shaped smudge on the window
That looked just enough like a heart.