I never wanted to have children. But, as I was insisting upon this, someone pointed out that I behaved toward Souris as though I were his mother. It was true, I was enchanted by his grace. He was the funniest, the smartest. His portrait was my screen saver. Whenever, as they always do, parents showed pictures of their children, I, not to be outdone, pulled out one of him. And so I decided to take the next step and give birth to my cat. I asked my vet for advice in order to simulate a pregnancy for the usual gestation period (58 to 63 days) and purchased a small black and white stuffed toy. I never went through with it. Was it because summer was the wrong time to be wearing a fake belly? Or because I feared being made fun of by my friends in the village? In the winter, I was traveling, hanging shows… As I kept postponing motherhood, Souris grew old. It no longer made any sense.