“Her name is Pesky,” I offer. “Pesky Pine.”
“C-U-T-E.” Heidi grins, taking a seat beside Millie.
“You can say the cat is ugly,” Millie says. “We all know she’s ugly.”
“You shut up. She’scute.”
“She’s ugly-cute,” I declare. “And extremely lovable.”
“You went older,” Heidi notes. “Like Millie and Stryker did.”
I run a hand over Pesky’s ragged fur. “There were a lot of cute-cute kittens there, too, but… they were about to euthanize her, you know? We couldn’t leave her there.”
“Of course you couldn’t,” Millie agrees. “That’s awful.”
Pesky meows her agreement, then trots away to climb a blue cat tower, exploring her new space.
“How long are we exiled for?” Millie asks Heidi, glancing at the door to the house.
Heidi shrugs. “Baz just told me Stryker wanted help. No timeline provided, but I think it’ll be a minute. Apparently whatever Archie’s been doing to the guy has him stuck to the table? They’re not sure how to get him off without a bunch of screaming and fighting, but Archie doesn’t want them ‘finishing his project’ here. I guess he doesn’t have time for ‘extensive clean up.’” She shrugs again. “Stryker and Archie were arguing downstairs when we got here, but Bazzy banished me to the catio before I could ascertain if it was we’re-making-progress arguing orarguingarguing.”
“I didn’t need all that information,” Millie groans, looking a little green. “Nobodyneeds all that information.”
Heidi’s eyes roll. “Do not throw up on Sarelia’s fancy new catio, Millie. It’s rude.”
“What’s rude is you giving me a big run down about ‘whatever Archie’s been doing’ instead of a basic time estimate.”
“I didn’t ‘give you a run down’,” Heidi retorts. “I don’t even have a run down. I have no clue what he’s been doing, just that it’s brutal.”
Millie gags.
“Archie told me that the issue isn’t really the extent of the damage he’s done,” I put in, “but that he hasn’t donemoreto him. He’s had to accelerate his usual timeline to get the basement clear before my parents visit and that means his project isn’t at the near-dead state they’re normally at.” I blink. “At least, that’s what he told me. I have no frame of reference, really. The man looked pretty near-dead to me.”
“Excuse me,” Millie grunts before running out of the catio and into the yard, disappearing behind the shed.
Heidi sighs. “Don’t mind her,” she says. “She does this a lot.”
“I do not!” Millie yells. “I do this a completely normal amount!”
Heidi’s lips press together, and her wide, green eyes meet mine. “A lot,” she whispers.
I work to contain my own amusement, certain that making friends does not involve laughing at them the first time you hang out alone with them.
“I’m fine,” Millie calls, making her way back to us. “Not that either of you asked!”
Ah. “Sorry, Millie. Are you okay?” I ask, eying her. Shelooksokay.
“If you all stop talking about Archie’s job, then I’ll be super duper absolutely okay,” she answers, shivering. “That stuff grosses me right out.”
“We hadn’t noticed,” Heidi replies drily. “Consider it payback for calling Pesky ugly.”
Millie reclaims her spot on the floor. “She is ugly! Sarelia said so herself!”
“I said ugly-cute,” I correct. “But I’m not upset with you for calling her ugly.”
“Yeah, well,Iam. We don’t call your behemoth marriage cat fat, do we? No. We call him handsome and adorable, and we thank him for giving us so much surface area to pet.”
“Yeah, well, youshouldcall him fat, considering he is. Do you know I caught Stryker sneaking him treats again? He’s going to experience a kitty heart attack. How a man can besogood about his dog’s health and then spoil the cat into obesity, I do not understand.”
