“Alfie?”
Three high-pitched meows reply.
I scuttle forward and soon the low hum of purrs vibrate toward me.
I reach out and feel his wet, muddy fur. Relieved laughter sputters out of me as my body drapes over the shivering cat. His head nuzzles against my neck and I could just lie down and sob.
Gathering my resolve, I press my hands around the area surrounding the cat. It feels like a mess of pipes and wood have entrapped him. I push them backward, careful of my pressure as Alfie whimpers underneath. I continue to whisper that he’s okay, pulling pieces of pipe apart.
Alfie stands when I push the last pipe backwards. His back arches in a much needed stretch, and I scoop him into my arms. On the crawl back to the yard, he cries in my arms.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re almost out.”
I snatch my phone and squirm against the gap to pull us out. I flop on the drenched grass and pant like I’ve run five miles. Alfie is a muddy mess, curled in my arms, but his belly expands and contracts, purring against me.
I giggle, cuddling him closer. “Oh my gosh, you little adventurer. You scared us all to death.” I smile so hard my face hurts. “Milo will be so happy.”
I force myself to my feet and carry Alfie into the house. “Umm, hi,” I say, standing by the downstairs living room as water and mud drips off me. Now that I’m inside, I really feel the dirt caked on my face.
“Oh my gosh, you did it!” Grandma cheers, rising from her armchair.
“How in the world?” Grandpa says in awe, walking my way.
“You found him?” Mrs. Nelson says, hurrying from the kitchen. “Milo! It’s Alfie!”
“What?” Milo's voice cracks as leaves the dining room. When he enters the main living space, he halts, jaw hitting the floor. “What… What did you do?”
I grin, lifting the wet and shivering cat. “I found your baby.”
Milo rushes toward me, scooping Alfie into his arms. His mouth hangs open as Alfie nestles against his hoodie, purring. His gaze lifts with glassy eyes. “Where did you find him?”
I giggle, wiping mud off my face with my dirty sleeve. “Under the house. He was trapped under some stuff stored underneath there.”
“What stuff?” Mrs. Nelson asks.
I shrug. “Like pipes and wood beams.”
“I’ll have Steven move them to the garden shed,” she says. “I don’t want this happening again.”
“Or I could not open the window again,” I joke. “Then this mess won’t happen again.”
Milo sighs, scratching behind Alfie’s ear. “I can’t believe you crawled under the house.” He looks me up and down, grinning. “You’re a mess, but you saved him.”
“I wanted to make it right.” I pat Alfie’s back. “And I missed him.”
“Jamie,” Milo says softly. “Thank you so much.”
I smile at him, feeling tingles bringing warmth back to my body. “You’re very welcome.”
Mrs. Nelson tugs at the bottom of my hoodie. “I want you to carefully take this off without dropping mud. Of course, I’m grateful you rescued Alfie, but I don’t want you tracking more dirt into the house.” She pulls the hoodie over my head and I feel like a child. “Slip out of your shoes and move it to the guest bathroom. You know where the towels are, and I’ll bring you a robe.”
Looking down at my mud-stained hands, I can only imagine the state of my face and hair. Before Mrs. Nelson tells me twice, I move to the back of the house. She follows me the entire way, complaining about her floor.
It all blends into white noise. Milo has his cat back. I put a smile back on his face.
Mission accomplished.
After scrubbing my hair and skin clean, I dry off and slip into the fluffiest robe ever. Seriously, I feel like a giant marshmallow in this thing. I pull it tight and open the bathroom door, entering the guest bedroom, which is filled with Grandma and Grandpa’s stuff.
