Page 59 of Betting on the Brainiac

“Of course.” She turns back to the desk like she’s ready to get back to work. But there’s nothing on the desk.

I practically run to the shed. Tabitha is with the kittens, who are as active as I’ve ever seen them, wobbling until their big heads pull them off-balance and they tip into each other like furry little drunks.

“Tabitha.” She pushes herself up to sit on her back legs and watches me, unblinking. “We’ve been leaving you out here because you seem to like it, and the experts say to avoiddisturbing the kittens. But Madison needs some love right now, so can we bring her the babies?”

Tabitha’s tail twitches, then she stands and gives me a short meow. I shuffle out of her way, and she walks past me, stopping on the asphalt to look at me likeWell?

“Yes, ma’am,” I tell her. “Thank you.” I pull up the hem of my sweatshirt to make an apron and scoop up the floofs, settling them in one at a time.

By the time I make my careful way to the office, Tabitha is on Madison’s lap. She gives Madison a single pat on the cheek with her paw, and I swear it’s a question.

A tear slides down Madison’s cheek, and Tabitha looks over her shoulder at me. I am expected to fix this.

This tear is a shock. I’ve seen her be funny, charming, sassy, snarky, and goofy over the kittens, but I’ve never seen her upset until today. Never truly annoyed. It’s not that I think Madison is always happy, no clouds in her skies. There have been hints. The way her jaw tightens when her mom or dad appears in her caller ID. The slight edge to her humor that only belongs to people who have been hurt and know how to hurt in return. People who know but choose not to.

Until today.

I’m not sure whether the tear rolling down her cheek is about the way her dad spoke to her or the way she spoke to him. He deserved everything she said as far as I could tell, but knowing Madison, seeing the way she fusses over everyone from Ruby to the kittens, it could be either, but I’ll bet it’s both.

A second tear chases the first, and the dam breaks. I take a step in and scoop out the smallest tabby from my shirt. I know she has a soft spot for the gray-striped runt.

“Kitten?” I say, offering it to her.

She nods and reaches for it, settling it against her chest. I sit against the office wall, legs crossed, to give the kittens a nest. “Tabitha said I could bring them in.”

Madison gives a tiny nod. “Tabitha’s a good”—her voice catches and gets watery—“mom.”

My phone vibrates, and I already know who it will be. “Madison, my mom is calling. It’s this sixth sense thing she does. She’s good at advice. Do you want to borrow her?”

She shakes her head no.

“Do you care if I answer it real quick anyway?”

Another no.

Shifting carefully so I don’t disrupt the kittens, I slide my phone from my pocket.

“Hey, honey,” my mom says when I answer. “Is something wrong? I have that feeling.”

“Hey, Mom. I’m fine, but my friend is having a tough morning. I told her she could borrow you, but I’m pretty sure she feels weird about that because she doesn’t know you.” I lift my eyebrows at Madison, who nods.

“Ask if it’s okay for you to put me on speaker,” my mom says.

Madison looks uncomfortable but agrees.

“You’re on speaker, Mom. This is Madison.”

“Hey, Madison. I don’t know what happened, but I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”

Madison gives me a watery smile.

“She’s pretty sad, Mom. I gave her a kitten. What else should I do?”

“Give her another kitten. Two is better than one.”

Madison holds out her hand and I give her Tuxie, who she promptly snuggles into her chest.

“Okay, maybe that helped,” I say. “What next?”

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