Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 131459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Clay slumped into his father.
They meandered back to the chairs and sat.
The receptionist returned to her desk and said, “The vet will be out in a bit to talk to you.”
Tom wasn’t looking forward to that, at least not about Clay’s girl kitty.
The Boston was called back.
The black cat was called back.
A pittie mix came and checked in.
Then a flop-eared bunny.
The pittie mix was called back.
Tom, Clay, Priscilla and Brayton sat and waited.
Tom was about to offer to go get them coffee and donuts when the door opened, and Mika and Cadence shocked the shit out of him by walking in.
He glanced at Cadence, giving her a small smile, but stared at her mother.
No kaftan today.
Faded jeans that had not been ripped in a factory, the split in the knee was from actual wear, and there were paint splotches and other stains on them. A mushroom-colored tank over which was a loosely knitted cardigan that fell down at the back to her ankles. It was patterned in a variety of rust and cream stripes and had wide sleeves. She was wearing slip-on flat sandals made with a bunch of beaded or metallic or braided bands, the same over her big toe. One necklace at her neck. Her array of earrings from lobe up the shell of her ear. Her golden hair was piled up again, but now there was a pattered scarf wrapped around, framing her face.
She looked born in State 48, tall, curvy, gorgeous, with her shining eyes searching his, open, concerned, gentle.
Not only seeing her, but seeing the way she was looking at him, Tom felt the jagged edges of his morning smooth out.
She came to him, but Cadence rushed him.
“Any word?” Cadence asked.
“Not yet, honey,” he told her, getting up from his chair.
“It’s been a long time. Hasn’t it been a long time?” She whirled to her mom. “We live, like, a gazillion miles away. It’s been a long time.”
“She’s an animal lover,” Mika said to Tom.
“I deduced that,” he replied.
“Hey,” Cadence said to the Davis family, giving them a wide wave.
“Mika, Cadence, this is Priscilla, Brayton and Clay. Clay and I found the kittens,” Tom introduced.
“And they’re gonna be okay because they know we’re rooting for them,” Clay declared.
His mom put an arm around him and pulled him close.
After murmuring greetings to the Davises, Mika looked up at Tom. “This seems like it’s going to be a long haul. Can we do anything? Go out and grab some food and coffee?”
“Or bagels,” Cadence piped up and looked down at Clay. “You like bagels?”
Clay put a hand to his stomach. “I don’t think I could eat a bagel.”
“I hear you, man,” Cadence replied.
“Do you have a cat?” Mika asked Tom.
“No,” he answered.
She turned to her daughter. “Then we need to go to Petco.”
“Rad!” Cadence cried.
“Mi—” Tom began.
“I want mine,” Clay said hurriedly. “I mean, Mr. Pierce, can I have mine? If she…well, can I?”
“Not my call on that, bud,” Tom replied.
“Like at this juncture we could say no,” Priscilla mumbled, but her lips were turned up.
“The dog’s gonna be pissed,” Brayton said.
“Basil’s gonna love her!” Clay declared, brightening at thoughts of a house-full-of-pets future, some of his worry washing away.
“Mr. Pierce?”
Everyone’s attention went to the voice, and Tom turned to see the vet walking their way.
He felt Clay pop out of his seat, his mom and dad following him, Mika and Cadence closing in on Tom. He also felt the tension around him.
Last, he felt relief with what he saw in the doctor’s eyes.
“Three of the ones in the box have perked up nicely and I expect them to fully recover,” she said when she stopped close. “The last two are taking their time, but their vitals have improved and we’re hopeful. I want them here overnight. I want them settled and to keep giving them the fluids they need. They’re very young, I’m not certain they’ve been weaned. I want to see if they can drink and eat on their own and do their business. We’ll call you tomorrow with an update.”
“Can we see them?” Clay asked.
The doctor looked to Clay. “Yes, it’d be good they have some love and attention from humans.” She glanced at Clay’s mom. “Not sure they’ve had much of that.”
All three of the women made a noise hearing those words.
But without delay, the vet led them back and left them with the tech who was keeping an eye on the kittens.
Tom didn’t even make it to the table before the ginger who’d stumbled through his tennis balls, trailing its line, tumbled over to Tom in that graceless, endearing way kittens had.
He saw immediately its eyes were brighter, less sunken, and he had more energy.
“Someone’s been claimed,” Mika murmured from beside him as Tom started stroking the cat’s fur.
Though, stroking wasn’t exactly the word for it, since it was so tiny, it was more like a full-body thumb rub.