Page 19 of Entangled With You

Six questions await us. We both answer, and only after we’re done can we see each other’s responses. It’s nothing crazy, very basic stuff like: How would you spend a million dollars? After answering and sending a nudge, I close the app and flick open my texts to send a message to Luca.

Matías

Hey bro, how’s it going? Are you guys getting enough sleep? I’ve heard that’s the hardest thing with a newborn.

And by I’ve heard, I mean I’ve seen movies where newborn parents are like zombies. Luca’s response doesn’t take long,

Luca

Hey, boludo. We can’t complain. Gonzalo and Carla come by daily, giving Karina and me a chance to nap for a few hours. At night, we’ve created a system: I wake up, change Enzo’s diaper, and then Karina feeds him. I burp him and put him back to sleep.

Matías

Look at you, being a supportive partner. I’m proud of you, man. And thankfully Karina’s parents are so close by. Any news from your viejos?

I know it’s a sore topic for Luca; he moved to Chile without his parent’s “blessing.” Not that he needed it; he’s an adult after all, but it’s sad to see his parents quit on him and his siblings once they got some money.

Luca

Nah, man. I texted them the news about Enzo and even sent them a picture, but they haven’t reached out. It’s their loss.

Matías

It truly is. Let me know when it’s a good time to go visit. I know nothing about babies but I’d like to go see him.

Luca

I can’t wait for you and everyone to come visit. I think it would be best to wait until after he’s had the first round of vaccines. You can never be too careful.

I chuckle at his response— such a dad. But I meant it when I told him I’m proud of him; he’s going to be the best dad for Enzo. Will I ever have kids? I don’t know if I’ll be a good dad. Maybe I need to take care of my demons before I bring little ones into this world.

Chapter 8

Cattleya Cardona

It’s two in the morning, and I’m finally back home after a three-hour bus ride. As comfortable as the seats are, they’re not the best when you’re trying to take a nap. I wish we could’ve spent the night in Santa Fe, but the team had us board the bus right after the game. Only Gatorade and power bars to tide us over.

Now I’m at the main door of my apartment building, still half asleep, looking for the key when I hear a little noise. I look around, on high alert, but I see nothing. It’s a clear night and the streets are empty. I continue searching my backpack for the damn keys. I should have looked for them in the Uber. I hear the noise again. This time I try to follow the sound, and after a couple of steps, I see a cardboard box next to the street lamp. I approach it cautiously— what if it’s a snake? Get it together, Cattleya Milena. Why on fucking Earth would a snake be in Palermo? I chuckle at my sleepy thoughts as I crouch down and open the box very slowly. Two yellow eyes look up at me.

“You’re a furball with eyes,” I say gently, and the cutest kitty I’ve ever seen meows at me. My heart melts on the spot. “Who was so heartless to leave you out in the cold alone? Huh, cutie?” I croon as the kitty tries to climb the walls of the box. “Do you want to come home with me?” I say. I slowly open my palm inside the box, trying not to startle him, and the kitty climbs into my palm effortlessly. “Ugh, you’re so fluffy,” I say sweetly as I pet it gently with my other hand, and he snuggles further into my palm.

“I’m in love,” I whisper as I try to find my key. When I finally find it in my backpack, I quickly unlock the door and hurry home.

I place my furbaby on the couch with my fluffiest blanket, then head to the kitchen to warm up some milk. I look at him, sleeping so peacefully, and wonder how someone can be so despicable as to leave a tiny, defenseless animal to fend for itself. The sound of the microwave brings me back from my thoughts, and I quickly pour the milk into a bowl. My stomach grumbles, but it’s going to have to wait a little longer. I need to take care of my kitty first. I sit on the couch, gently trying not to wake him up, but his head rises as I pass my fingers through his back.

“Hey, baby. Are you hungry?” I say as I put the bowl in front of him. He timidly approaches it, sniffing at first. Not sure if he should drink it. Deciding to help him, I dip my index finger in the milk and place it in front of his mouth. After a couple of seconds, he licks it. I move the bowl even closer to his mouth, and he quickly starts drinking. “Take your time, furbaby. No one is taking it away from you.” I tell him as he continues to drink, his eyes never moving from the bowl. Once he’s done, he goes back to his spot on the blanket, and I finally go to the kitchen to look for some food.

The next morning, I wake up, and the first thing I do is check on the furbaby. “I need to find him a better name,” I murmur to myself as I stretch my back, still in bed. He’s fully awake and ready to go. I moved him to my bed once I was done eating, and he slept on his side of the bed all night long. “I’m going to shower, and then we need to find you a vet, and buy some essentials,” I tell him as I warm up some more milk. I open the balcony where I have a few small potted plants, and he quickly finds the biggest one to relieve himself. I’m always close to him, just in case he decides to jump off, but once he’s done, he rushes back inside. “You’re so cute,” I tell him as I fall more in love with him.

After we’re back home from running our errands, I turn on the TV for background noise and pour water and kibble for Furball on his brand-new bowl set. He scurries over to inspect his new area in the living room, and he immediately climbs onto his gym.

“I guess the view is way better here than from the couch, huh?” I tell him as I snap a picture of him and immediately send it to Isabella, one of my best friends. We haven’t been able to talk much lately; she’s in Italy for the summer and the time difference and my schedule make it harder, but I need to share my cute baby with her. Isa’s reply comes almost immediately.

Isa

Awww, did you get a kitty? So cute. *heart eye emoji*

Cata

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