I looked to Darius.“Oh myGod, honey.Kitty.”
“See I picked the right one,” Tex said, watching mecontentedly.
Darius swung disbelieving eyes to Tex.
“Get over it,” Tex told him when he caught them.“You got afamily now.Every family needs a cat.”
“Maybe you’d wanna ask first?”Darius suggested.
“You might say no,” he returned.He then jerked his head tome.“Though, she says yes.Anyway, quit bitchin’.I gave you time to settlein.”He lightly kicked thePetsmartbag with the toeof his boot.“Litter.Kitten food.Kitty pâté.”He turned to me.“They need alittle bit a’ wet.Better protein delivery.But it fucks up their teeth.Sothey also need dry.”Back he went to Darius.“Toys.Treats.I got the litterboxin the car.And a litter mat is in the bag because they track that shiteverywhere.”
Darius sighed.
Tex kept talking.
“Got his shots.”So it was a he.“And you’ll have to takehim back in to be fixed.Also got a good vet.I’ll get you the number.”
He walked to me and scratched the kitten’s head with hisbig, rough fingers, and the kitty squinted his eyes with happiness.
God.
I loved him withall my heart.
“Named him Scrapper,” he told me.“’Causehe’s a scrapper.Found him alone in my alley.Scrawny as all get out.Barelyalive.Bottle fed him.He pulled through.”He stopped scratching and said,“Also knew I wasgivin’ him to you, and it’s perfect.Because you and your man are definitely scrappers.Life sucker punched both a’you, neither of you went down.Even if it kept hitting you, you kept your feetand carried onscrappin’.Found your way back to eachother.Got yourself the lives you deserve.That meansnothin’llever get you down.Because you two are scrappers.”
I stood motionless, staring at him, but even as moved as Iwas by what he’d said, I realized Darius was doing the same as me.
“Obviously, you can name him whatever you want,” Texconcluded.Then boomed, “Welp!Gotta go get the litter box then I’ll be out ofyour hair.”
And with no further ado, he lumbered out the front door.
I looked to Darius.“Can we keep him?”
He was looking at me and I knew with the way his face gotsoft what his answer would be.
“Look at you, woman.What do you think I’m gonna say?”
“The same thing Mister Morris would say.”
He closed his eyes and dropped his head.
I held my breath and waited.
He lifted his head and opened his eyes.
When he did, I knew he saw what I saw when I looked at him,and maybe, just a little (it was a start and I’d take it), he believed what Ialready knew.
He proved my thoughts correct when finally,finally,he said…
“Exactly.”
Epilogue
Riding a Cloud
I was pouring coffee when Darius came in the back door witha stack of donut boxes from LaMars.
“Well, don’t mind if I do!”his Uncle Samuel said, leaningback on his stool at the island and patting his big belly.
