We have a new alarm clock, the sweetest alarm clock. Zinnia sleeps on the floor in our bedroom, if it’s cold, she will hop up on the bed and curl up – we don’t even know she’s there.

At 640: every morning – or when the light comes in from the window and touches our faces – Zinnia comes up on the bed and creeps slowly up between us.

First, she licks my chin and cheek, her tail thumping behind her. I hug her and rub her ears. Then she shifts over to Maria – who sleeps like the dead – and leans into her face. She is patient.

When Maria moves or mumbles, she also gets showered with kisses. It’s a wonderfully sweet moment, we wake up with smiles on our faces and laughter. What a gift, to be able to make people smile.

Then she hops off the bed and lies down on her bed (she has several) and sits quietly until we get up. She is large and sometimes steps in the wrong places, but it is the sweetest and most loving alarm clock I’ve ever had.