Page 74 of Forced Vows

"We can't leave them without their mother." Fiona looks at me like I suggested euthanizing them.

I appeal to Róise with logic. "They would leave their mother if we took them home, just like their brothers and sisters."

"It's not the same." Róise looks at the shelter worker. "We'll do the paperwork for all four cats."

Four cats? Is she kidding?

"There's plenty of room in the mansion for them all."

Róise's words remind me that the animals will be Shaughnessy's problem, not mine. My arguments against adopting four animals go up in smoke.

"We'll give one of the kittens to Fitz. Every child should have a pet," Fiona says firmly.

"Did you?" I ask.

"Before…I had lots of pets," she replies.

Before what?

"Fiona used to bring injured or abandoned animals into the mansion all the time." Róise's tone is wistful. "It drove my grandfather right around the bend."

"Not your uncle?"

Róise shrugs. "He didn't notice much of what we girls were up to back then."

"After Aunt Charity and Uncle Derry died, mamo was our only real parent." Fiona pets the now sleeping cat in her arms. "She still is."

I'm not surprised by the sentiment, but her willingness to share it is something else. Róise looks shocked by the younger girl's words.

Apparently, this openness is not the norm for the fragile young woman.

We end up getting two of the cardboard carriers and putting both kittens in one and Fiona's shooting survivor in the other.

"And where is the other kitten going?" I ask.

"Mamo of course," both say in unison.

So, the only cat I have to worry about living with is the fluffy monster sitting to heel at Róise's feet. Does the creature realize she is feline and not canine?

On the way back to the Shaughnessy family estate, Fiona holds her cat in her lap, the top of the carrier open while she talks to him in a low voice, the words indistinguishable, the entire time.

Róise's giant mama cat is in the pink carrier and napping like the oversized princess she is.

Chapter 26: RÓISE

"Och, look at you now," Mamo croons to the fluffy kitten she holds up close to her face.

Miceli presented Fitz with his kitten as a gift from the De Luca family. Somehow, he guessed we were worried about Mick or Uncle Brogan refusing to let our nephew keep the kitten and did the one thing that guaranteed that wouldn't happen. Refusing Miceli's gift would be an insult.

Miceli is Fitz's new superhero and Kara thinks the underboss walks on water.

"You'll be keeping Fiona's cat a wee secret for now," Mamo instructs. "My son takes news like this best in small doses and three new pets at once in the mansion is enough to start with."

We all agree because if Uncle Brogan gets a peek at Rambo in his current condition, he'll never let Fiona keep the traumatized cat.

My feet dragging, I return downstairs, Pusheen on my heels.

Miceli said he wants to talk. He said he would wait. However long it took.

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