💔 When I first found him, he was half-dead — torn apart by feral cats, wounds infected, breaths shallow and weak. I couldn’t walk away. I carried him home, whispering that he wouldn’t face the end alone.

🕰️ Days blurred into tender rituals: syringe feedings, crushed pills hidden in treats, warm baths to soothe his aching body, and quiet promises spoken into the night. Slowly, impossibly, he clawed his way back to life. I thought I was his whole world — and in those fragile beginnings, maybe I was.

🌟 As his strength returned, we became inseparable companions. We strolled through Lowe’s aisles together, fished beside still lakes, shared crumbs of Starbucks pastries, and rested on mossy logs while I scribbled down thoughts. Each night, I made him tiny feasts — “Possum Pâté,” fresh fruit drizzled with almond butter, and always a honey-roasted peanut slipped into his paw before we drifted to sleep side by side. In my eyes, he was my spoiled little prince.

💫 But then came Joe — my gentle, disabled brother. The first time I set the possum beside him, something extraordinary happened. He melted, draping himself across Joe’s chest like warm butter, releasing a trembling sigh as if to say: “I am safe. I am home.” From that moment, his devotion belonged to Joe.

🌙 Each night, he climbs onto Joe’s chest, tucks his soft snout beneath Joe’s chin, and falls into the deepest, most trusting sleep. All my gourmet meals, long walks, and soft blankets pale in comparison to that bond. Joe is his world now — his anchor, his comfort, his forever.

❤️ And truthfully, I wouldn’t wish it any other way. Because what greater gift could I hope for the fragile little life I once saved than this? Perfect peace. Absolute trust. Love that asks for nothing, but gives everything.

🐾 So I’ll keep making the feasts, buying the blankets, and carrying him wherever he needs to go. And then I’ll place him gently in Joe’s arms — and watch as they both dissolve into something quiet, tender, and whole.

✨ This possum who once hovered at death’s door now has two humans utterly devoted to him.
Lucky him. Lucky us.