Mouse Girl

 The other day, my wife, my sibling, and I went to dinner at my parents' house. We played Nertz and ate brownies and then, before we left for the evening, my mother brought out a box and revealed... Her mouse collection.  Growing up, my mother had a Mickey Mouse collection that include, amongst other things, a sweater (that I have since stolen), two watches, Christmas decorations, and a toaster that would singe Mickey's silhouette into your toast. What she revealed the other night, though, was that her collection had started as a general mouse collection.  My mother was given two pet mice, both girls, for one birthday as a child. The tragic story is that on the very first day one of her friends accidentally stepped on one of the mice cutting its short life tragically shorter. Shortly after, she was given another mouse, this time a male, and the surviving mouse along with this new mouse reproduced shortly thereafter. She had pet mice for years after. I suppose this is why ...