“Fuck you,” I said, laughing. “I’m extremely approachable. I’m the most approachable person you know.”
Troy threw back his head and laughed. The camera clicked again. I couldn’t process it, couldn’t think of a clever comeback. My brain had officially short-circuited.
“That’s a wrap,” the photographer announced, lowering her camera. “Great chemistry, guys. These are going to be amazing.”
Troy stepped back, the spell broken, and turned to talk to the shelter volunteer. I stood there like an idiot, still holding Cheeto on my head and Olive on my chest, trying to restart my brain.
“They seem to really like you,” the volunteer said as she walked up with a carrier. She was pretty in a girl-next-door way, with brown hair pulled into a practical ponytail and a name tag that read “Melissa.”
“Can I cuddle them a little while longer? I don’t want to wake them.” I eased a sleeping Cheeto off my head and snuggled him close to Olive. He made a grumpy little sound before settling back down. “See? They need their nap.”
She grinned. “They do! I can tell they’re taken with you. Cheeto is usually quite standoffish with new people.”
“I have a way with troublemakers,” I said, scratching his ears. “Recognize a kindred spirit, I guess.”
She laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you keep holding them while we do the next photograph. I have to wrangle a puppy, but these two are done.”
“Sure,” I agreed, carefully sitting down and cradling them against my chest, wondering where Troy had wandered off to. The kittens purred happily against my chest, all tired and snuggly now, the perfect distraction.
At least someone in my life appreciated my toned physique.
Melissa wandered off, working with the photographers to get a shot of another one of the guys. I slouched back in my chair, cradling the warm bundles of fur against my chest. Olive’s tiny body rose and fell with each breath, her whiskers twitching in some kitten dream. Cheeto had curled himself into an impossible orange spiral, one paw stretched across his sister’s back. Something tight in my chest loosened as their synchronized purring vibrated against my skin. I’d never held anything so small, so trusting.
When Melissa returned a few minutes later, clipboard in hand, I was still lost in the simple pleasure of being needed by these tiny creatures.
“So what happens to these little guys after the shoot?”
“Well, they go back to the shelter and find forever homes.” Melissa’s eyes turned wistful. “They’re both still quite young—about four months old. They came in together. Found abandoned in a cardboard box behind a grocery store.”
“That’s awful,” I said, looking down at the kittens. Olive blinked up at me with big green eyes, while Cheeto batted playfully at my arm hair. “People suck.” Something about the image hit me harder than it should have—two tiny things left behind in a box, nobody coming back for them. I knew what it felt like to be in a house where nobody noticed if you were there or not.
“Some do,” Melissa agreed. “But then there are people like you guys, helping raise money for animal rescues.”
“Will they get to stick together?”
“They’re a bonded pair, so we’re really hoping we can find someone to adopt them together, but often they need to be separated.”
I looked down at the two tiny cats, imagining them being torn apart.
“Are you allergic? Your eyes are watery,” Melissa said.
I cleared my throat, blinking back the sudden wetness in my eyes. “It’s the bright lights. Or dry air. You know what? I’ll take them. Adopt them, I mean.”
Melissa’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s wonderful! Let me get the paperwork!”
She hurried off, leaving me standing there with two kittens. Before I could second-guess my decision, Melissa returned with a clipboard full of forms. “Alright, I need you to fill these out. We’ve discounted the adoption fee for the calendar volunteers, so it’s $60 for the pair, which includes their first round of vaccinations and spay/neuter.”
I nodded, accepting the clipboard with my free hand. “Great. Yeah. Awesome.”
The next fifteen minutes passed in a blur as I somehow managed to complete paperwork while holding two increasingly squirmy kittens. Melissa went over feeding instructions, litter box tips, and veterinary recommendations, none of which my short-circuited brain properly retained, though I vaguely heard myself assuring her that our apartment was pet friendly.
“We have a temporary cardboard carrier,” she offered, already reaching for one. “But you’ll want to get a proper carrier soon. Here’s their folder. It has a checklist of things you’ll need from the pet store.”
“Right. Pet store.” I was so out of my depth I couldn’t even see the surface anymore. But still, like an idiot, I handed her my credit card and gave her all my info.
It wasn’t until I got into my truck and set the box carefully on the passenger seat that reality finally sank in.
I had cats now. Two living, breathing creatures that depended on me to keep them alive. What the actual fuck had I done?
