The box arrived without ceremony.
It appeared on the front porch quietly and waited there, square and patient, as though this were a normal thing to do. Inside, the house continued as usual.
Pebble noticed the smell immediately.
She slipped through the doggy door with suspicion, nose low, ears alert. Something had been left behind. Something unfamiliar. Possibly important.
Mohg followed more slowly.
He stepped onto the porch and sat beside the box, regarding it calmly. It was clearly a traveler. It had been carried far. It deserved acknowledgment.
Pebble barked once, sharply, to announce its presence.
Mohg leaned forward and sniffed the air near the box, careful not to touch it. His tail wagged once, slowly — the way one does when meeting someone who might be nervous.
The box did not respond.
Pebble circled it from a safe distance, unimpressed by its silence. She barked again, closer this time, as if inviting explanation.
Mohg remained seated.
He understood that some guests needed time.
Eventually, the box was opened. Its contents were removed. The cardboard shell collapsed politely and was set aside.
Mohg stayed with it anyway.
Pebble lost interest as soon as the mystery emptied itself.
Mohg rested his chin briefly on the box, satisfied that it had arrived safely and completed its journey.
The box left later, lighter than before.
Mohg watched it go.
