I’m sitting here listening to Madam Bellatrix Lestrange’s meows echo through the house. She’s the newest member of the Clark clan—my grandkitty. Bella is a demanding little thing, calling out for attention the second she wants it and refusing to quit until she gets her way. And honestly? I don’t mind giving in one bit.
She came into our lives in the most unexpected, serendipitous way.
My friend Heather messaged me on X, asking if I could share a post about a tiny black kitten in need of a home. The poor thing had tumbled out of a car engine at a repair shop. Nobody there knew what to do, and nobody could take her in.
Heather hoped I might use my reach to find the kitten a safe landing place. But the moment I saw her picture, all I could think of was my sweet Binx. I showed the photo to Bug, and one look was all it took. Bug was smitten. And just like that, we headed out to bring home Madam Bellatrix Lestrange—my first grandkitty.
She was so small then—barely four weeks old, tiny enough to fit in the palm of my hand. She loved her wet food, squeaked out the faintest little meows, and curled right into us as if she knew she belonged. Now, Bella’s nearly tripled in size, has sailed through two vet visits, and is healthy as can be. We’re still working on her introductions with Felicia, but we’ll get there in time.
What strikes me most is the timing. We didn’t know it when we brought her home, but Bella arrived exactly when we needed her. We had finally healed enough from losing Binx to open our hearts again—and just a few short weeks later, we lost our sweet Roxy.
Losing Roxy felt like losing Scrappy all over again. She was with us for 11 years—Belle’s very first pet, and truly the sweetest soul. Gentle, loving, often found curled up with the cats. You couldn’t ask for a better dog. Then one morning, without warning, she couldn’t stand up. There was no time to plan our goodbye—it was just suddenly upon us.
That kind of grief doesn’t fade quickly. But I’m grateful that Bug and Belle have Bella now, a little ball of energy and mischief to help ease the ache, even if only a bit.
Within a matter of weeks, we had a hello and a goodbye. And it reminds me of God’s ultimate plan—how life has a way of giving us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.
