Page 87 of Hold the Pickle

I set up the litter box under the vanity in my bathroom and make a line of cat dishes. I fill each bowl and add fresh water to two others.

“It’s time!” I kneel to unlatch the crate.

An explosion of fur shoots out the door.

I sit back, watching to see what they will do.

Catzilla, remembering the room from previous visits, heads straight for the bathroom.

Mama Cat, realizing Catzilla is on to something, follows her.

But the kittens immediately start scaling the bed skirt. Ferris Mewler takes the lead, and Greyson isn’t far behind.

Doppelgänger is the smallest of the bunch and gets stuck immediately. Pumpkin takes it slow and steady, but makes it up.

I tug Doppy off the fabric and set him on top with his siblings. They stand on the edge and mewl pitifully, as if I stranded them up there.

“Okay, okay.” I gather the whole lot of them in my arms and walk them to the bathroom.

They spot Catzilla and Mama Cat eating and nearly squirm out. I kneel to let them zoom to the wet food I’ve left.

Whew.

All my suitcases are in the car, but I’m way too exhausted to think about hauling them up. Tomorrow.

I sit on the floor at the end of the bed. From here, I can see in the bathroom while I send all the necessary texts.

To Dalton: Made it home. Miss you already.

He’s not at work yet, so he writes back quickly.

Dalton: The apartment is impossibly empty.

My throat tightens. It probably is harder for him. He’s sitting in the midst of everything we had been.

Me: I’ll do everything I can to get back to LA.

Dalton: I’ll be here.

I lean back against the end of the bed and close my eyes. Tears threaten, but I refuse to give in. I’ll figure this out. This is temporary.

Getting a job back in LA at a real salary is imperative. Finding something different to rent will be easier if I can afford more,maybe a house, or an independently owned condo with more lenient rules about pets.

The kittens stumble about, overfilled, tired. We’re all road weary. Pumpkin approaches and crawls up on my lap, then falls asleep instantly.

I should go back to the car for the cat bed, but the whole crew makes their way up onto mine. I lift Doppelgänger so he won’t have to fight it again, then carefully move Pumpkin to be with the others.

Probably there’s room for me up there, but I’m not ready to fight it. I drag a clump of abandoned stuffed animals close to me and use them as a pillow.

Right as I’m about to wink out, I remember I was supposed to text my parents, too.

But I’m tired. I’ll do it in a minute…

“Nadia?”

My head feels clogged, like I drank too much, like the morning after the hospital.

“Nadia? Are you okay?”

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