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Beyond escorting the orange tabby in and out of the rehab center, that was her secondary job.

Listening.

“Kenneth wanted to get a cat for the store. Let it chase away any mice that might come in.”

Mari smiled at the wistful sound of the other woman’s voice.

“I didn’t agree. Cats were cute, but they were so quiet. I always worried that I’d turn around and trip over it or it would leap down at me from a shelf and scare me half to death.”

She moved her hand over Ebi’s side and smiled. “Maybe I should have listened to him back then. Ebi is such a good girl, it might have worked out.”

“She’s not always like this.” Mari leaned her arm on the padded chair. “Sometimes she’s a real bear to deal with. She likes coming here and the people. I think it’s like the life she had with my parents.”

Mari’s lips pressed together for a moment.

“I’m afraid I’m not a good enough replacement for them now that they’re gone.”

Missus Tamura’s hands stilled on Ebi’s belly, her fingers barely visible in the long, silky fur. “I think... it’s useless to think about things like that,” she sighed softly. “You have each other now. I’m sure that things will settle down and the two of you will become fast friends sooner or later.”

Almost as if Ebi understood the older woman’s words, she cracked open an eye and looked at Mari as if to say, ‘fat chance.’

Mari smiled at the older woman, grateful for her words. “Some day.” Her smile deepened. “I guess there’s always a chance for a miracle.”

Mari heard a scoff from the other side of the room and turned her head.

She wasn’t the only one.

Ebi lifted her head, and in the same way an owl seemed to turn its head completely around, Ebi was able to do much the same as if under all of her plush fur, she had somehow detached her head from her neck.

Mari had no idea if the cat was really looking in the same direction, because the moment she saw the man who’d made the sound, she wasn’t able to look away.

He was well built, but his face... his face looked haggard. The emotions she saw there were familiar to her.

She’d seen them in the mirror often enough.

Desolation.

Exhaustion.

And a kind of sour taste of life.

How could she know this man’s thoughts?

It was hard to imagine seeing those kinds of emotions written plainly across his features.

She spent so much energy trying to hide them from herself.

Mari didn’t know if it was courage or maybe the man didn’t care to hide it.

Either way, she was almost jealous of the way he wore them outright.

Movement at her side, turned Mari’s head.

She had no idea how Ebi managed to go from lying on her side like a spoiled Roman empress to standing on her feet like a gold medal gymnast.

Mari reached out to take Ebi in her arms. She didn’t want the sometimes polite feline to accidentally claw the older woman.

Ebi had other ideas.