Now I’m wrapping the Christmas presents I bought yesterday for my little sister, the youngest one of all of us, who lives in Chicago. The cats were very curious when I brought the wrapping paper out of the closet where A. and I keep it, and are sitting near me on the floor, watching me. Now and then one of them puts his paw on some of the paper, as if something about my method isn’t pleasing to him, or as if he would like to interrupt the process, and stop me from completing the task, though all I need to do, on these occasions, is reach out and lift his paw from where he has placed it, and slide the paper out from underneath him. At which point he objects loudly, and tries to bite my hand.