Chapter 12
Calvin
We’d accidentally bought a cat. The timing was uncanny!
As expected, no one in all of Arrowhead—or beyond—was willing to trade for a kitten. Not that I’d tried very hard. Got enough pets, thanks, was more or less the broken record response at all two doors we knocked before I couldn’t do it anymore. It felt wrong to try and get rid of it.
“What are we going to do?” My Mandy kept shoving her hair behind her ear and it kept falling. The kitten batted at it. Very cute. I couldn’t stop watching them.
“We basically bought a kitten for a dollar. Ellen won’t be impressed when we describe our series of trades.” We were totally going to lose this round.
“No, I mean with Lego, after the game ends.”
“Lego?” She’d named the kitten already? Uh-oh. “So we’ll avoid stepping on it?” Truth dawned quickly. “Ah, short for Legolas.”
“He’s a warrior of a cat.” She petted his back and he purred like a lawn mower.
Smart cat. I’d do that under her touch. “Do they allow pets in the hotel?”
Lego crawled up on her shoulder and pawed her curls. “I’ve never asked hotel rules—or plane rules—with a pet.” She pulled him down and rubbed his neck.
Plane rules! “We’re a long way from home.” I knew she wanted something from me—a show of commitment. But could I commit to a cat in another hemisphere?
“Lego needs us.”
I reached for the kitten. It clung to me. Oh, dear. “Come here, Lego. Le’go win this game with your cuteness.”
Amanda beamed at me. It’d happened. I’d become the pun guy. And I loved it.