Audrey worried that it would destroy a perfect friendship. Now she loved Yasi like a sister. Even so, she wasn’t ready to explain what was happening in her life—even if she’d been certain herself.
In spite of her reservations, she got out of the car and ran to her. She needed confirmation that someone cared. It had been too long since she’d felt loved in any form. “Oh, Yasi, I’m so glad to see you.”
Yasi held her and rocked side to side, cooing reassurances. Her voice was like liquid love flowing from Audrey’s ears directly to her aching heart. It hadn’t been easy the past year only seeing Yasi randomly. She hadn’t realized until now just how difficult and how lonely she’d felt.
“There, there. Now I’m certain something’s wrong. You can tell me all about it, but first I have a present for you.” She opened her car door, pulled out a shoebox full of holes, and with a grand flare presented it to Audrey. “ This is what I’ve done. Please don’t be mad.”
Audrey didn’t have to open the box. The distinctively dis-gruntled meowing and scratching from inside verified her suspicions. Yasi knew her so well and it had been almost two years since Olga passed. “How old? What color? When—”
“Why don’t we go inside and find out?” She hugged Audrey to her as they walked into the apartment. They automatically headed for the sofa and stretched out like they’d done so many times as kids coming home from a movie. It was as if they’d seen each other yesterday, their intimacy intact.
Audrey placed the box between them and lifted the lid. A tabby kitten popped over the side and flung itself toward her, snuggling into the hollow of her neck. Audrey felt a connection immediately. “She can’t be more than seven or eight weeks old. She’s gorgeous.”
“She’s ten, weaned, has all her shots, and is litter-box trained—in other words, the perfect house pet. Don’t you love her? And look at those darling little eyes.”
Carefully dislodging the kitten from her neck, Audrey gazed into the most beautiful pair of mismatched eyes she’d ever seen, one deep green and one yellow. “Oh, my.” She stroked the kitten’s coat, amazed at its coarse, springy feel, unlike Olga’s silken fur. The kitten’s wiry hair was dense and formed little ringlets all over her tiny body.
“She’s an American wirehair. I found her at the pound. They’d taken very good care of her. She’s the friendliest kitten I’ve ever seen. Can you imagine anyone abandoning this little bundle of preciousness?”
“No.” Audrey was immediately in love. “No, I can’t. What’s her name?”
Yasi smiled and produced an envelope from her purse. “I thought the three of us would take care of that together. Remember how Nadja used to name pets?”
Audrey smiled at the memory of her mother’s naming ceremony. It was one of her favorite traditions and sparked a swell of warmth. “She let them choose their own names.”
“Exactly.” Yasi opened the envelope, shook, and little white squares of paper floated to the floor. “I thought it appropriate that the theme was famous circus acts. Turn her loose when you’re ready.”
Audrey kissed Yasi on the cheek, planted another on the kitten’s forehead, and set her gingerly on the floor. The animal acted like she was on springs, bouncing from one area to the next, inspecting and scampering away again. When she eventually slowed, she walked carefully around the perimeter of the slips of paper as if stalking the entries, trying each name on for size. She stopped, sniffed, and stood completely upright with one piece of paper stuck to her mouth.
“That’s it then,” Yasi said as she retrieved the paper and read the results. “Meet Cannonball.”
Audrey scooped the kitten up and held her in her palm. “Cannonball. Seems appropriate for the way you’ve been hurling yourself around. I might have to call you CB. Cannonball isn’t very ladylike.” Her new charge
In spite of her reservations, she got out of the car and ran to her. She needed confirmation that someone cared. It had been too long since she’d felt loved in any form. “Oh, Yasi, I’m so glad to see you.”
Yasi held her and rocked side to side, cooing reassurances. Her voice was like liquid love flowing from Audrey’s ears directly to her aching heart. It hadn’t been easy the past year only seeing Yasi randomly. She hadn’t realized until now just how difficult and how lonely she’d felt.
“There, there. Now I’m certain something’s wrong. You can tell me all about it, but first I have a present for you.” She opened her car door, pulled out a shoebox full of holes, and with a grand flare presented it to Audrey. “ This is what I’ve done. Please don’t be mad.”
Audrey didn’t have to open the box. The distinctively dis-gruntled meowing and scratching from inside verified her suspicions. Yasi knew her so well and it had been almost two years since Olga passed. “How old? What color? When—”
“Why don’t we go inside and find out?” She hugged Audrey to her as they walked into the apartment. They automatically headed for the sofa and stretched out like they’d done so many times as kids coming home from a movie. It was as if they’d seen each other yesterday, their intimacy intact.
Audrey placed the box between them and lifted the lid. A tabby kitten popped over the side and flung itself toward her, snuggling into the hollow of her neck. Audrey felt a connection immediately. “She can’t be more than seven or eight weeks old. She’s gorgeous.”
“She’s ten, weaned, has all her shots, and is litter-box trained—in other words, the perfect house pet. Don’t you love her? And look at those darling little eyes.”
Carefully dislodging the kitten from her neck, Audrey gazed into the most beautiful pair of mismatched eyes she’d ever seen, one deep green and one yellow. “Oh, my.” She stroked the kitten’s coat, amazed at its coarse, springy feel, unlike Olga’s silken fur. The kitten’s wiry hair was dense and formed little ringlets all over her tiny body.
“She’s an American wirehair. I found her at the pound. They’d taken very good care of her. She’s the friendliest kitten I’ve ever seen. Can you imagine anyone abandoning this little bundle of preciousness?”
“No.” Audrey was immediately in love. “No, I can’t. What’s her name?”
Yasi smiled and produced an envelope from her purse. “I thought the three of us would take care of that together. Remember how Nadja used to name pets?”
Audrey smiled at the memory of her mother’s naming ceremony. It was one of her favorite traditions and sparked a swell of warmth. “She let them choose their own names.”
“Exactly.” Yasi opened the envelope, shook, and little white squares of paper floated to the floor. “I thought it appropriate that the theme was famous circus acts. Turn her loose when you’re ready.”
Audrey kissed Yasi on the cheek, planted another on the kitten’s forehead, and set her gingerly on the floor. The animal acted like she was on springs, bouncing from one area to the next, inspecting and scampering away again. When she eventually slowed, she walked carefully around the perimeter of the slips of paper as if stalking the entries, trying each name on for size. She stopped, sniffed, and stood completely upright with one piece of paper stuck to her mouth.
“That’s it then,” Yasi said as she retrieved the paper and read the results. “Meet Cannonball.”
Audrey scooped the kitten up and held her in her palm. “Cannonball. Seems appropriate for the way you’ve been hurling yourself around. I might have to call you CB. Cannonball isn’t very ladylike.” Her new charge
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