Page 41 of Homecoming

“I told you, Darius hates cats. No, it’s gotta go.”

“Okay, but what do we do with it? I mean, we can’t just put it out on its own… it’ll…D… I… E.”

“Mommy!” Luka bundles the cat to QT and climbs down from the stool to return to his mother as she appears with Evelyn in her arms at the door. “Hey baby…” she smiles. “What’s going on?”

“I keep.” Luka yanks at her robe.

“You keep? You keep what? Luka, what did you find today?” She smiles as she looks up at QT and her mouth gapes open as she sees the kitten. “Oh my God!” she laughs. “That’s what he found? Holy shit… Uh, Luka, we might have to let the kitten go. It needs to be with its mommy, it’s just a baby like your sister and it needs to go back to be with its mother. She’ll be looking for it.”

“Mommy dead. Mommy gone—my mommy gone.”

“Oh baby, no. No, I’m not going anywhere.” Kat wipes the large tear from his cheek. “Luka, mommy’s not gone. Mommy’s right here.”

The small boy sniffs as he turns to Noah and grabs his leg. The large man collects him up in his arms as he gives QT the small ginger kitten to hold.

“C-can he notke-keep it?”

“No. QT, you heard Kat, it needs to be with its mom.”

“And I just said it doesn’t have one—not anymore. It’s an orphan.” Noah hitches his brow.

“Well, that’s not our damn problem,” Digby snarls. “You know, Darius is never gonna let it stay here. But no matter, it’s me that decides things now and I’m saying it’s gotta go. We can’t have the dirty thing infesting the house. You do know cats’shit in a box inside the house, right? Howdisgustin’is that? No, go get rid of it. If it’s got no one, just put it out of its misery. If it really doesn’t have a mom, it’s not gonna survive out there—remember the law of the jungle? You know about nature and the natural order and you know it won’t survive. Maybe it would be kinder to put it out of its misery quickly.”

“What?” QT turns with a snarl. “N-no! No, you can’t! I’ll keep it in my room.” QT lurches towards Digby and Zak makes a grab for him.

“What the hell are youdoin’?” Zak snaps. “QT, what is the matter with you? No. No damn way! No damn way in hell are wekeepin’afuckin’cat in our room.”

“Myroom. Y-you get your own r-room.”

“What the fuck? QT,c’monman, seriously, you want me to move out of the bedroom?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Zak steps back, deflated. “Oh, okay… Okay, I will then.Goddammit, keep the dumbfuckin’cat, I don’t care!” With that, Zak snarls loudly, turns on his heels, and storms from the kitchen.

QT swallows nervously and his amber eyes well with tears.

“Alright, does someone want to tell me what the hell just happened here?” Digby frowns.

“I think uh, well I think, QT and Zak just called off their engagement,” Bud shrugs.

“They did what? But why?” Kat turns and faces the tear-streaked expression on QT’s face.

“That’s between them, so let them sort it out. We have enough problems with what to do with this damn thing,” Digby snarls.

“Well, tomeit doesn’t look like they’re sorting anything. QT, what is Zak’s problem now?”

“He… he wants to think aboutth-things—let things cool d-down and take some time-out. P-Postpone the wedding.”

“Really? He wants tothinkaboutthings? Well, where did he get that dumb idea?” she sighs. “Okay… if that really is the case… Digby, you need to sort this mess out. Those two are made for each other, and you need to get a grip on things. After all, you’re supposed to be the pack leader.”

“God, if one more person says that today I’ll… Okay, okay, I’ll get a grip. Noah… take the cat and drown it. QT, you get your dumb ass upstairs and speak to Zak and Luka… stopgoddammcryin’!” he snaps with authority. “Sorry. Luka, I’m sorry. Look, let’s get your coat and we’ll go to the pet store and get that damn fish you wanted.”

“Oh wow! Just wow, what an amazing job you just did,” Kat slowly claps. “Yeah, great job Digby. You’re such an outstanding pack leader.” With that, she turns swiftly around, storms out of the door, and slams it shut.

“What the fuck? Wait, did she not just tell me to sort it out? I thought that’s what I did.”

Oz bites his quivering lip. “Did you really just say ‘drown the cat’?”

---