Page 6 of Finding His Fox

She rubbed my back and took a seat next to me.

“It doesn’t matter. It won by a landslide, anyway. I think Max’s fans just wanted something different,” I said, patting Josie’s hand.

As if he thought I was calling him, Max, my orange tabby, walked over to me and rubbed his head on my leg.

I picked him up and placed him on my lap, scratching his ear.

Max was what one would call an Instagram famous pet. He had a serious following with even more serious fans.

Every year, I made a themed calendar featuring Max.

This year, his fans wanted to choose the theme for the calendar I was planning to sell next year.

After many suggestions and polls, it came down to two themes—an urban setting or a more natural one. Unfortunately, the latter won.

It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life, letting his fans choose the location.

Ok, that might be a tad overdramatic, but now I had to stay in Fox Haven. And not just for a few days, like how I usually did whenever I visited Rory and his family for the holidays.

I didn’t know how long making this calendar would take. Handling Max’s social media was serious business. In fact, it was my main business.

I quit my desk job a few months ago and decided to do this full-time. It hadn’t been easy, and money had been tight.

I figured making the calendar in Fox Haven was the most cost-effective option right now. The previous calendars I made didn’t come cheap.

Having a photoshoot for your cat came with a lot of unexpected costs. At least in Fox Haven, I didn’t have to pay to stay in dingy motels.

However, did memories of my childhood come rushing up every time I came here?

Yes. Did I like staying here longer than I needed to? Definitely not.

Was I going to grin and bear it until I had the perfect pictures I needed for Max’s calendar? Yes.

These pictures could interest his followers to buy more merchandise and therefore help me get a more stable income.

I let out a deep sigh. The things I would do for this little furball.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? It’ll get awfully lonely staying in that big house by yourself,” Josie said, jerking me from my thoughts. There was a look of concern in her eyes.

Rory and Josie had kindly offered to let me stay in their guest bedroom during my time here in Fox Haven, as they always had.

This time, since I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here, I didn’t want to overstay my welcome. I chose to stay at my childhood house instead.

Childhood house. Not home. Home was where you felt comfort and security. A place where you felt loved.

That place hadn’t been home for almost ten years now.

“I’ll be fine, and you guys are just next door. It’s going to be fine, and Ian’s here, too. Which is great. So it’s all fine,” I said, all too aware I was rambling. And repeating the word ‘fine’ a little too much.

Max placed a paw over my hand as if sensing my discomfort.

“Well, if you’re sure. But like I said, you can’t move in until tomorrow, so you’ll have to stay here for the night. I still need to have the plumbing checked. The house hasn’t been lived in for a long while now,” Rory said, eyebrows furrowed.

My eyes glanced between the two of them, and they looked like puppies with pleading eyes.

Instead of begging for food, they were waiting for me to give them a genuine assurance of my mental state.

“Really, I’m f—,” I caught myself before saying the word again. I took in a deep breath.