Page 37 of By the Letter

Mary doesn’t hate you, but she is known to hold a grudge. Here’s a helpful hint: she loves to be praised, and she adores toys—especially stuffed mice.

Thank you for everything you’re doing for me and Beanie.

Yours,

Shira

And so began the daily ritual: Roman leaving food and short notes, me replying with my thanks and answering his questions.

Shira,

They were out of your favorite mango tarts this morning, but I spoke with the manager. You now have a daily standing order. Please let me know if you get tired of them.

Mary laid in wait for me today. As soon as I entered the utility room, she jumped off a stackof towels. My heart stopped. It’s by sheer luck you didn’t wake up to my corpse on your floor this morning. Your cat definitely hates me.

Roman

I scolded Mary for scaring Roman. Very lightly. First, I wasn’t much of a scolder. Second, my girl was only protecting me and herself. I really couldn’t blame her. Besides, it wasn’t like she’dhurtRoman. She was making him work for acceptance.

Roman,

I don’t think I’ll ever be tired of mango tarts. Please keep them coming!

I’m sure Mary just wanted to play with you. She’s a sweet angel kitty. She would never purposely scare anyone.

Yours,

Shira

Shira,

Did you like the lemon bar? I noticed it disappeared and no crumbs were left behind.

I’ve promoted Angelina Chin to head of marketing. What do you think about that decision? She seems solid, but I’ve misjudged character in the past.

This morning, I told Mary she’s a good girl—a drastic stretch of the truth, in my opinion—and she headbutted my shin. I don’t know if this is a good thing.

Roman

Mary purred in my lap as I read Roman’s note out loud. “Did you headbutt Roman?”

“Rrrreoowwww,” she replied.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

She gave me the side-eye then started to clean herself.

Roman,

Lemon bars are now a close second to mango tarts. I think Beanie likes citrus. The last week, I’ve been craving oranges every day.

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