Though Blair usually picked Jeffrey up from her aunt Wanda’s house on her way home from work, they made different arrangements for Monday evening. Blair was waiting in the living room of her house when Wanda walked Jeffrey home.
Jeffrey looked curiously at his aunt when he trudged inside, dragging his backpack behind him. “How come you came home without picking me up today, Aunt Blair?”
She smiled. “I had something to take care of here.”
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but paused when an unfamiliar sound caught his attention. “What was that? It sounded like a...”
He went silent when a sleek gray cat slipped into the room, pausing in the doorway to look inquiringly at the humans gathered there.
“Whose cat is that?” Jeffrey asked, standing very still.
“She’s yours,” Blair answered gently. “If you want her, of course.”
“Mine?” the boy repeated in a whisper.
“Her name is Belle—at least, that’s what her first owner called her. She’s a year old and very affectionate, I’m told. She stays inside all the time where she is safe and comfortable. Her previous owner is moving to Casper, to an apartment that won’t accept pets, so Belle had nowhere else to go.”
“And I can keep her?”
The excitement building in Jeffrey’s voice made Blair’s smile deepen. “Under certain conditions.”
He was already inching toward the cat, who was sitting with her tail tucked neatly around her paws, waiting for someone to pay attention to her. “What conditions?”
“She’s a living creature. She has needs and feelings. She needs love and care. I will not have her mistreated or neglected.”
Still moving very slowly—probably the same way he had with the wild cat he’d once tried to tame—Jeffrey knelt beside the friendly-looking Belle and extended his hand. Belle began to purr, her head arching into his palm when he stroked her tentatively. “I would never mistreat her, Aunt Blair.”
“Having a pet is a lot of work. She needs fresh food and water every day, and I want the litter box changed frequently. Even when there are other things you want to do, your pet comes first.”
Jeffrey was sitting cross-legged on the floor, grinning broadly as Belle climbed onto his lap, purring loudly and demanding more strokes and attention. Blair had been assured that Belle was an outgoing and child-friendly cat, but this first meeting was progressing even better than she had hoped.
“Jeffrey? Do you want her badly enough to agree to my conditions?”
He beamed at her. “I’ll take good care of her, Aunt Blair. Look how much she likes me. She wants to stay with me.”
“Yes, I think she does,” Blair agreed gently. “She needs a home...and a friend.” Just like Jeffrey, she thought with a surge of tenderness.
Jeffrey rose to his feet. “Come on, Belle. I’ll show you my room. You can sleep with me tonight.”
He moved toward the hallway, and to his obvious delight, the curious cat trotted close at his heels.
“Well,” Wanda said, wiping her eyes with her fingertips, “that was certainly a successful idea. Whatever made you think of it, Blair?”
“I heard Jeffrey say yesterday that he likes cats and that he’s never had a pet. I thought it would be good for him to have a pet of his own to love and care for.”
“It was a wonderful idea. I don’t know why we never thought of something like this before.”
Blair sighed. “We’ve been so concerned with Jeffrey’s grades and behavior that we’ve forgotten to address some of his other needs, I’m afraid. I’ve tried to make him feel safe and secure, but I’m not sure I’ve done a very good job of making him feel loved.”
Wanda placed a hand on her niece’s arm. “You’ve done your best for him, Blair. Considering the circumstances—the way Kirk left him with you with no warning, no preparation—I think it’s more than admirable how much you’ve done for the boy. You’ve practically put your own life on hold for the past six months, and we both know it might be a long time before Kirk returns for Jeffrey, if ever.”
“To be honest, I hope Kirk stays away for a while,” Blair admitted in a low voice, keeping an eye on the hallway for her nephew. “Jeffrey doesn’t need to be dragged from place to place in his father’s wake, even if Kirk should ever decide to give active fatherhood a try. Jeffrey needs a home, a steady schedule, security. I can’t see Kirk ever living that way.”
“Nor can I,” Wanda agreed. “Kirk really did pick up your father’s worst traits. He simply doesn’t seem capable of settling down and becoming a responsible parent.”
“Jeffrey has a home with me for as long as he needs it,” Blair said firmly.
Wanda smiled a bit ruefully. “I feel as though I should repeat your lecture to Jeffrey about owning a pet. Having a child is a big responsibility, Blair. They require a great deal of time and attention. They’re demanding and expensive and very vulnerable. Even when there are other things you would rather do, the child’s needs come first.”