It was the morning before my birthday and I hadn't found breakfast to eat. All I could have done was beg for it. Have you heard of it? A cat begging? And that's what I did. I walked out of the alley I slept and blended into the Elmore City's pedestrian crowd. All I saw was the towering wealthy businessmen that went to and from their offices, which were all towering kilometre high skyscrapers.

The past nights, I didn't have the luck to find any vacant shelters. I had to live on my own instincts and find food on my own. There would be many people willing to give a share of their food at the park. One thing is that only a few eats at Central Elmore Park. But finding food isn't the only hardship I must face. Last night, I was threatened to be killed, by gang members, if I weren't to hand over the food. I didn't eat last night.

I walked over to the park and looked for something to eat, leftovers and things. I just hoped since that was all I could have done. Hope.

Tomorrow was Gumball's birthday. He wanted every one of his friends and family there. It hurt me to see one invitation being sent back from the post office, with a note saying invalid address. It was the invitation for my long-lost daughter, Alexis. All I could've done was hope.

That was what all a mother, I could do. I lost her in a walk at the city. She let go of my hand and suddenly… she was lost. I ran back and forth every street, from Parke Road to North Street. She was nowhere to be found. I cried that very night, mourning for my loss and asked for Alexis, with all of my heart. And then I saw Gumball, still innocent and unaware of the situation so Richard and I decided to wait for her, as if she was a new playmate to him.

But the following days, we had people knocking on our doors, none of which were Alexis. Those days became weeks and those weeks became years. Finally we had Anais. The day after Anais' birth, we asked the police for Alexis. They returned nothing. I was shocked hearing so.

When Anais became 4, I told the kids all about my missing love since I couldn't have borne so much pain. They understood me and agreed to keep the secret from the world until it was long enough.

I regretted my failure for so long, I wondered when I won't…

I was walking around when I saw a family sitting down on a table near me. I walked up to them slowly until I could see what they were doing. The first thing that took my attention was the mother. She was a blue cat wearing a white polo, a blue short skirt and a rainbow badge. She reminded me when I had a mother.

I remembered how my mother held my pink paw. Then I remembered. That mother was my mother. I dropped into the bush I was hiding in, my heart racing as I did. She couldn't have. She had two sons and a daughter - all I remembered was my brother. But, the two children… they were younger than the boy… but… the boy…

I was hesitating, at myself. But guts told me that I belonged to my family… but I doubted it. They wouldn't remember my birthday, even if they adopted me. Nobody remembered my birthday. Even the shelters, they didn't even bother saying happy birthday, only keen to kicking me out. I bit my lips and walked past them, as if they were just imagination. Everyone but the mother didn't notice me. She seemed to have locked her vision on me. Yet, she kept her bright smile, as if she was inviting me.

I just continued walking across the park, into the area where there were chessboards and tennis courts. I sat on one of the chess seats, only to sense the presence of others. I looked around me, very sternly, as if somebody killed - or was about to.

Then I saw the same gang members I met last night standing right beside me. They had their fist clenched, looking at the table I sat beside. Coincidentally, a flattened KFC box was on the seat adjacent to me. They took me, by the collar, and punched me, in the stomach. I felt my stomach clench only to feel another punch. Soon, I was coughing blood and they left me alone.

I walked, severely injured, towards the nearest restaurant, which was at the other side of park, where the family was. I needed to go there, where there were cushions and chairs, on which I recovered. Slowly, I lost my consciousness, as I approached the restaurant. When I passed the table where the family was, I was blacked out.

I saw the pink cat collapse beside us. I ran up to her, in tears, taking the attention of the kids and Richard. I kneeled beside her, as blood slowly streamed down her cheek. I held her paw and embraced it. I kissed it and caressed it. I hugged her.

"Please, Alexis," I whispered to her ear, with my tears flowing onto her, "please, live for me, Lexy."

I heard that slight breaths of life, escape from her lips. As the first-aiders took her, I followed them. They said that she was going to survive. With that truth in my mind, I watched the ambulance drive away from me. I hoped that they'd give back my Lexy. My missing love. My missing piece. I wanted her more than ever. Because I found her.

I woke up in bed, beside a pink rabbit, the same one I saw in the park, sleeping on the bed beside me. She was holding my paw, as if she was my family. Her eyes fluttered and then she smiled. She tugged on me, as if she wanted me to follow her. So I did. I followed her down the stairs then into the kitchen, to see the rest of her family holding up a banner that said 'Welcome back, Lexy, and a happy 12th birthday!'.

I ran up to the family - my family - and shared a warm, loving hug that I had never felt on any other January the fifth. It was that feeling that I have longed for so long in my lifetime.