Nathan looked up from his meal and out the window. There was something pressed against the screen of the door. It was pinned there, moving as the wind blew it back and forth, back and forth. He thought it was very strange how it was moving. Was it a black plastic bag or a piece of paper or…no, it was furry, and it had a tail, and—

“It’s a squirrel!” Nathan yelled as he jumped up from the table.

He ran across the kitchen. His father and mother were right behind him. He skidded to a stop at the thin screen door standing between him and the squirrel. His parents stood beside him.

“It’s just a baby,” his mother said.

Instead of running away, the little squirrel continued to cling to the screen. It tilted its head to the side and looked in at them as they looked out at it.

“He’s so cute,” Nathan said.

“He is cute, but what’s he doing here?” his mother asked.

“Maybe he wants to come in and join us for supper,” his father joked.

“Could he?” Nathan asked. “I’d share my salad with him.”

“He should go back and join his family for dinner,” Nathan’s mother said. She looked at her husband, and he nodded in agreement.

“Time to go home, little guy,” his father said as he gently tapped one of his fingers against the screen.

Instead of running off, the squirrel climbed up the screen until it was at the spot where he’d been tapping. His father moved his finger and tapped at another spot on the screen, and the little animal followed after his finger.

“So what do we do now?” Nathan asked.

“We could close the door, and he might go away,” his father suggested.

“That would be rude,” Nathan said.

“But it’s not like we can bring him in.”

Nathan leaned in a little closer to the squirrel. “He’s crying.”

“I don’t think squirrels cry,” his mother said. “But I do hear something… it’s squeaking.”

“He’s probably calling for his mother to come and get him,” Nathan said.

Nathan’s father went to close the door and hesitated. He knew Nathan was concerned. “It’ll be okay, Nathan. I’m sure his mother will come and get him as soon as we close the door.”

Nathan wanted to believe his father, but he was worried. He nodded his head ever so slightly in agreement.

His father slowly started to close the door and—

“Wait!” Nathan called out. “Look!”

His father stopped. He hoped he’d see the mother squirrel. Instead, he saw what his son had seen.

“It’s Batcat,” Nathan said.