Page 29 of Conflict Conclusion

“So, she’s a lucky girl?” James asked, tipping forward in Leon’s arms to reach for the cat.

“Well, she managed to find the two of you, didn’t she?” the vet said.

Leon ducked his head and released James so he could go to the cat. “I do my best for Yarmen.”

“And from everything I’ve seen, he is a wonderfully happy, healthy cat. So long as he doesn’t try and eat your plants at two in the morning.”

Leon laughed, but with all the bullshit happening in his chest, it came out sounding like one of the yippy dogs he could hear down the hall.

“Does she need a splint or a cast or a brace or anything?” James asked, both of his hands buried in the purring kitty’s fur.

“She needs rest more than anything else. Try and block off any cat trees, windowsills, or beds she might try to jump up on. Will she be living with Yarmen?”

“For the time being, yes,” James said, his eyes fixed on the cat.

Leon stepped forward and put a hand on James’ back. “Or possibly forever.”

The vet, who had a rainbow “safe space” pin on his white coat, inclined his head. James didn’t stiffen so much as he collapsed over the side of the table so he could wrap his arms gently around the cat. She began to purr so loudly she sounded like a motorboat.

“Purrsephone,” Leon said, overemphasizing the beginning of the name.

James made a choking noise, and the vet ducked his head, only somewhat hiding his wide smile as he pressed a few more keys on the computer before darkening the screen.

“I’ll have the front desk give you some information on introducing cats to each other, but you can find some pretty good tutorials online. If she doesn’t show improvement in the next three days, you can bring her back to your primary vet, or if she begins showing signs of distress like hiding, panting, or refusing to eat, bring her back in here at any time.”

“Can we give her a bath? Or is that going to be too stressful?” James asked.

The vet removed his gloves and tossed them in the large, metal trashcan. “I’d recommend not trying to fully submerge her in water or bringing her to a groomer this week. It can be very distressing, and she’s also at a heightened risk of slipping on the bottom of the sink or tub. You can give her a light sponging down, and they actually make dry shampoo for cats.”

Leon pulled out his phone and started a new note. He jotted down everything the vet had said and underlined dry shampoo. He was pretty sure he had some he had gotten for Yarmen after the whole plant debacle, but after that frantic vet trip he seemed to have learned his lesson and had left Leon’s plants and soil alone.

“Thank you so much,” James said, releasing Purrsephone to offer a hand to the vet.

“You’re very welcome. Please take care, and congratulations on your new forever friend.”

James glanced over his shoulder at Leon but didn’t say anything.

Leon had really taken a chance using a word like forever, when they hadn’t even figured out what they were going to do come September, but as he stared at James and his new pet, he knew he meant it.

Purrsephone was a little less cooperative on their way out of the vet than she had been going in. She squirmed around, smacking James in the face with her tail with pointed accuracy.

“We have those cardboard cat carriers you get at shelters,” Theo offered as he handed Leon a final receipt along with an ungodly number of pamphlets.

Purrsephone glared at him like she understood, and James shook his head. “I don’t want to stress her out more. You’ll behave, right, sweetie?”

That balloon in Leon’s chest glowed like the streetlight outside the small waiting room window. Purrsephone also seemed to be touched by James’ earnestness, or maybe she was just tired of struggling. She settled back down as James contorted his wrist around her body to stroke her back.

“Alright, well, don’t come back to see us, ya hear?” Theo said, grinning widely at them before shooing them away from the front desk.

“Everyone is so nice here,” James said as they stepped out into the humid night air. The clouds overhead seemed to have trapped the muggy air, and by the time they got to the car, Leon’s shirt was sticking to his back.

“They are, probably because they have to deal with a lot of distraught pet owners at all times of day. My vet’s office is pretty nice too, though. We can take Purrsephone there if that’s okay, or you’re always welcome to find another office if you don’t like mine.”

James blinked his big, beautiful blue eyes at Leon. “We are not calling her Purrsephone.”

“Do you have a better name?” he asked, smirking as he slid into the driver’s seat.

For some reason, despite the increasingly precious cargo he was carrying, he didn’t feel anxious getting behind the wheel. He was excited to go home, get Purrsephone settled in, and hopefully talk with James about what the next few months would look like.