I awoke suddenly.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked at the clock on my night table.

2:32 a.m.

"What the ..."

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Then I heard it again. A definitive banging of some sort.

Not the kind that would send fear through you, but more a continuous tap, tap, tap.

I turned on the light on the night table and listened carefully, trying to determine what it was.

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My first thought was the kittens, but they were both sitting at the foot of the bed, staring out toward the hallway.

Another bang.

And then another and another and another.

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Finally, I got out of bed, left the bedroom and headed down the hall. Ghost and Spirit ran past me.

"Well, I guess that eliminates some intruder," I sighed, now having a better idea the source of the noise.

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As I entered the kitchen, my suspicions were affirmed.

Even though it was fairly dark, the outside night lights on my veranda, showered a soft glow into the kitchen.

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I had attached a cat play toy to the end of my counter. It was a small plastic ball, with a long elastic. The lady at the pet store, Kim, told me it was a safe toy for the kittens and it would help them exercise.

The ball was constantly banging against the counter.

I turned on the light in the kitchen.

"Whisper?"

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The ball stopped.

For the second time, I caught a glimpse of a young girl, this time kneeling by the counter, her hand on the ball.

A chill ran through me. Not of fear, but excitement.

"Whisper? I know you are there."

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"I'm sorry, Will. Did I wake you up?"

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"You did," I said in a gentle voice.

"Sweetie, I need my sleep."

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"I'm sorry, Will. I did not know I could move the ball.

But then I could and I was hoping the kittens would come and play. I didn't think I would wake you."

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Ghost and Spirit were now playing with the ball and again the constant tapping began.

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I took the ball and put it up on the counter. The kittens jumped a couple times, but the counter was a little too high for them; for now.

I knelt down next to where I thought Whisper was.

"Sweetie, we have to come up with some rules if we are to live together, okay?"

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"I'm sorry, Will."

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I shook my head.

"You don't have to be sorry, Whisper. We just have to be able to live together and understand what we both need. Do you understand what I am saying?"

.

"I think so Will.

Like I need to be quiet at night, when you are trying to sleep and I have to stay out of your bedroom, unless you say I can come in and stuff like that.

Right?"

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I smiled.

"That's right. And I will spend time with you and I will leave the TV on for you and stuff like that."

I stared at where her voice was coming from.

I put my hand up to where I thought her face might be.

"I wish I could see you."

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I felt something brush my hand.

"I am right here, Will. I can see you."

She giggled.

"I think you are cute."

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I immediately felt my face grow hot and I know I turned ten shades of red.

I couldn't believe that a little girl, ghost, had made me blush.

I slowly got up.

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Ghost and Spirit were doing their dance again.

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I watched them spin around on their hind paws.

"Amazing," I whispered.

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"I will be quiet, Will. I promise. But, did you see, Will? I can move the ball."

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I nodded. "I did see. I think that is wonderful."

I really did, though I did wonder how much more she would be able to do, in the future.

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She giggled.

"Can Ghost and Spirit stay with me?"

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I honestly did not see any other choice.

"Just play quietly."

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"I will."

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"And no playing with the plastic ball."

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"I promise."

She giggled again.

"Will. Kneel down."

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I did so and once again I felt a slight touch against my face.

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Then the familiar giggle and Spirit and Ghost ran into the living room. I knew they were following Whisper.

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As I walked down the hall I heard the now all too familiar giggle.

My heart warmed.

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As I lay back in bed, I thought about my life before I had won the lottery.

The lonely nights, often consumed with drinking beer and whiskey.

The constant snide remarks and torment at work.

It was a sad existence. No friends or family. Even the few people I had met on the internet through chatrooms, eventually would tire of me and disappear.

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I eventually gave it all up. My drinking became heavier and I began missing work. To a point where my boss had to warn me that if I continued to miss work, as I was, he would have to let me go.

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I took a deep breath and wiped a tear from my eye, as I lay there in the dark.

It was the lowest point in my life and that was when the thoughts of suicide began to creep into my mind.

I spent nights, sometimes, planning exactly how I would do it and I even went as far, on a couple of occasions, as to write a suicide note. Not that anyone would care.

I actually had planned to do it, one Sunday morning, but that morning, for some reason, I went to the store, first and while there, I heard the clerk talking to some customers about how their store had sold the winning ticket.

I got a copy of the numbers and went back to my apartment to check the numbers, on my ticket.

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An hour later, I was on the telephone with the Lottery Commission, checking my numbers and verifying.

The woman on the other end happily informed me ...

"Mr. Templeton. You have just won $22 million dollars."

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I quickly began planning things again, but this time it was not my ending my life, but more so, the beginning of my new life.

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I heard Whisper's sweet giggle float down the hallway.

I was so glad that I had not ended it all.

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I wiped another tear from my eye and lay on my side, pulling the blanket up over my shoulder.

If I had, I would not be where I was, right at this moment.

And, right at this moment, for the first time in my life, I honestly felt like I was home and I had a family.

Even if it was two strange little cats and a ghost.

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It was still family.