With a rush of determination, I stood - disrupting Lilith, who let out a tersemeow- and strode over to pick up the boxes. Then I stormed to the bathroom. I put the plastic bag that contained the pregnancy test in the cupboard, then stared at the box of morning-after pills for a moment before tossing them in the trash.
I stared down at the garbage can, like I was analyzing a crime scene.
“Well, there’s twenty dollars I’ll never get back,” I muttered to myself.
With one last long glance, I left the bathroom and returned to Lilith’s side. She eagerly met me with a waving tail. I curled up again with her, and this time the darkness seemed more cozy than depressing.
“I guess in a couple of weeks we’re gonna find out the truth, huh?” I said to her.
She just purred.
* * *
Griffin textedme the following day to ask if he could drop off the boutique cat food, to which I agreed. My entire being itched to see him, even if I didn’t quite know how to tell him about the situation yet. Having him over for something menial like cat food would ease my mind.
He arrived after work with an excited smile and a bag hoisted over his shoulder. “Where’s my little girl?”
“Nice to see you, too,” I replied dryly.
“Hi, Jake,” Griffin said after rolling his eyes.
There was an awkward moment where I felt like I should hug him or something, but neither of us made a move to do so. Thankfully, the uncertainty disappeared when a loud meow drew our attention. Lilith sauntered up to the front door like she’d lived here her entire life. Her belly hung low to the ground.
“She looks even bigger than she did the other day,” Griffin remarked. He leaned down and held out a hand to pet her. “Don’t you, my sweet girl?”
But Griffin’s big hand looming over her head made her balk. She avoided his hand, which left Griffin hilariously in shambles.
“Why is she avoiding me?” he cried. “I even bought her this food…”
I laughed. “Because you’re a giant. Here.” I kneeled down to the floor and gestured for him to do the same. He followed my lead and looked to me for advice. “Now, take your hand like this…”
I grasped Griffin’s hand in mine, thinking about how surprisingly soft it was. I opened his palm gently, as if he was holding a small fruit, and held it in front of Lilith’s face. She took a moment to sniff his fingers, in which Griffin held his breath in excitement, then she pressed her cheek against his hand.
“Oh,” he murmured. “She’s so soft.”
“Andthat’show you greet a cat,” I told him. “Got it?”
“Yes, I see now.” He smiled as Lilith continued rubbing her face against his fingers. “You’re a sweet one, aren’t you?”
“She is seriously sweet,” I agreed. “One of the nicest cats I’ve met, especially for one that was dumped and pregnant.”
Pregnant.
The word echoed in my mind. I resisted the urge to touch my belly again. I knew nothing was there - not yet, anyway - and I didn’t want to draw any suspicion to myself in front of Griffin.
“Right. Here…”
Griffin placed the bag of food on the floor, which made Lilith instantly perk to attention. She trotted over to him, then began weaving through Griffin’s legs and pleading loudly.
“Youjustate,” I cried incredulously.
“Hey, back off,” Griffin said with a grin. “She’s pregnant. She gets to eat as much as she wants.”
I knew he was right, but I rolled my eyes anyway. The bag of food sitting on the floor was huge, with flashy branding across the front. I recognized the brand as a high-quality one, but extremely expensive. Griffin probably didn’t even think twice before handing over the money for it.
I returned with her food scoop and bowl. “Here. You feed her this time.”
Griffin excitedly opened the bag and dumped three cups in the bowl. “Here you go, girl.”
