Page 91 of Unlocking Melodies

“Right,” I muttered to myself, grabbing a cart. “What does a cat need? Everything. Probably everything.”

I loaded up with what felt like half the store - a plush bed that looked nicer than my own, toys in every conceivable variety, food bowls that probably cost more than my coffee maker. The elderly shop owner kept bringing out more suggestions,each one accompanied by detailed stories about her own cats' preferences.

But something felt off. The hair on the back of my neck kept rising, like someone was watching. Every time I turned around, though, the aisles were empty except for the usual small-town shoppers.

The feeling followed me through checkout and into the parking lot. I loaded Luna's supplies with probably excessive speed, that creeping sensation of being observed making my hands clumsy.

The drive home felt longer than usual, my rearview mirror getting more attention than strictly necessary. Luna, unbothered by human concerns, dozed in her carrier like the queen she clearly was.

The house was freezing when we arrived - the ancient heater had given up again, probably in protest of actual cold weather. Caleb was supposed to come by later to fix it, but for now, I piled on sweaters and focused on getting Luna settled.

“Welcome home,” I told her as she investigated her new kingdom. “Sorry about the temperature. The heater's dramatic.”

My laptop chimed with an incoming video call. Ethan's face filled the screen, looking tired but softening immediately when he saw me. Even through pixels and miles of distance, his smile made my chest tight.

“I miss you,” he said without preamble, his voice low and sincere.

“I miss you too.” I adjusted the screen, grinning. “But look who's here to say hi.”

Right on cue, Luna leaped onto the desk, immediately claiming prime real estate in front of the camera. Ethan's whole face lit up.

“There's my girl,” he said warmly. “Settling in okay?”

“If by settling in you mean completely taking over, then yes.” I scratched behind her ears, earning a purr that probably registered on seismic monitors. “She's already claimed my favorite reading chair and rejected at least three perfectly good cat beds in favor of my laptop keyboard.”

“Sounds about right.” His smile turned softer. “I remember you talking about wanting a cat, back at Rosewood. This felt like the right moment.”

The simple admission - that he'd held onto that detail through eight years and memory loss - made my throat tight. “Thank you,” I managed. “She's perfect.”

“Unlike your heater, apparently.” He nodded at my multiple layers. “Caleb coming to fix it?”

“Later, yeah. Though I'm starting to think it's possessed. Maybe we need an exorcist instead of a mechanic.”

Luna chose that moment to headbutt the camera, clearly feeling she hadn't received sufficient attention. The laugh it startled out of Ethan helped chase away some of that lingering unease from earlier.

“I should go,” he said reluctantly. “Board meeting in ten minutes. Apparently someone's concerned about our 'rural market penetration strategies.'”

“Is that what they're calling me now?”

“Better than last week's 'questionable small-town investment priorities.'”

We signed off with promises to talk tomorrow, and I sat there for a moment, just watching Luna explore her new domain. The house still felt cold, that weird sensation of being watched still prickled at my neck, but something else felt warm and right.

I pulled Luna closer as she settled in my lap. Some distances were manageable when bridged by love and cat photos and perfectly timed messages.

The doorbell rang just as Luna had decided my laptop keyboard was the perfect napping spot. Caleb stood on the porch, toolkit in hand and that easy smile that always made everything seem fixable.

“So,” he said, eyeing my multiple sweater layers, “the heater's being dramatic again?”

“Pretty sure it's staging a full rebellion.” I let him in, gesturing toward the basement door. “Though watch out for Luna - she's appointed herself supervisor of all household activities.”

Right on cue, Luna appeared to inspect our visitor, circling Caleb's feet with regal curiosity. “Well hello, Your Majesty,” he chuckled, kneeling to offer proper tribute in the form of chin scratches.

My phone buzzed - Nina, her timing suspicious as always.

Nina

SOS - Dave called in sick. Any chance you can cover his shift? I'd ask someone else but you're the only one who knows his regular customers' orders.

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