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“Mom, Dad! We’re going to be late for the science fair.” Their daughter’s voice was filled with preteen angst.
“Is your brother ready?” Liam called.
“Yes, he’s already outside.” She let out an exaggerated groan and added, “And now he’s climbing a tree.”
Liam grinned. He could just imagine their daughter pacing back and forth near the front door in her denim overalls and red Converse high-tops. Her tawny blond hair was probably swept into its usual messy bun, complete with the pencil she always stuck there “just in case.” At only twelve, she was already exhibiting an aptitude for complex math and physics, often stopping to scribble random notes whenever inspiration struck. She also had a deep love of nature and earth science and could usually be found outside teaching her little brother about the things she was learning.
“We’ll be right down,” Cora called. Leaving her hair loose, she stood from the vanity and threw Liam an exasperated smile. “I don’t know why she gets so nervous. She wins first place at the science fair every year.”
Cora swept from the room, and Liam began to follow when he heard a familiar scratching sound behind him. He glanced back and saw their old white cat, Angel, perched on the ledge outside, pawing at the window. Liam walked over and slid the window up to let him in.
The cat gingerly stepped over the sill, yawning and stretching like he had all the time in the world. And maybe he did, Liam mused. He often reminded himself that cats had nine lives, preferring not to dwell on the fact that Angel no longer jumped to the top of the bookcases in the family room like he used to. He also moved a lot slower and slept a lot longer. Liam didn’t know exactly how old Angel was, but it was clear the cat was in the twilight of his life.
“Where’ve you been, old friend?” Liam gently scratched him between the ears. Lately, Angel had been disappearing for longer stretches of time. The family had begun leaving food and water outside on the back porch every day, since Angel didn’t always come home for dinner. Neither Cora nor Liam had the heart to keep him locked inside the house, both accepting that Angel was a free spirit and always happiest when he could roam where he pleased.
Angel began to purr, nudging Liam with his cold, wet nose.
Liam smoothed his hand down the cat’s back. A soft, downy feather came loose from Angel’s fur. It floated to the floor, sparkling in a beam of sunlight. This wasn’t the first time Liam had pulled downy bits of fluff from his coat. It seemed to be happening more often in the past year, and Liam suspected he knew exactly where Angel was spending more of his time. One of these days, Liam was afraid the cat would straddle the line between this world and the next and choose to stay on the other side.
“Don’t leave us yet, old man,” Liam pleaded softly, giving the cat an affectionate pat. A pang of sadness filled him at the thought of Angel moving on. It seemed the universe—in all its perfection and glory—had made a vast mistake when it granted beloved pets much shorter life spans than humans. From the very first day Liam had come to Providence Falls, Cora’s cat had been a loyal friend to him. Over the years, Liam had grown so fond of the feisty feline he couldn’t imagine life without him. Angel had given him unconditional acceptance even back when Liam had been a self-serving rogue who didn’t deserve it. Not only that, the cat had seen and interacted with the angels. Liam felt as if they were connected on an even deeper level because of that shared experience. Losing his beloved friend would feel like losing a piece of himself.
Angel meowed in understanding, which drew Liam from his melancholy thoughts. Lifting him from the windowsill, Liam gently placed him on the edge of the bed. The cat sank into the homespun quilt like a dollop of marshmallow fluff.
“You tell those meddling angels you’re still doing good work down here, and we need you,” Liam said. “Ineed you.”
Angel’s whiskers twitched. Then, in perfectly aloof cat fashion, he began grooming himself. Liam recognized when he was being dismissed, but he didn’t take it personally. He’d long ago accepted the fact that cats existed on a higher plane than humans, and he was fairly certain Angel had loftier things to worry about.
Downstairs, the front door flew open and a younger child’s high-pitched voice shouted excitedly, “Mom! Dad! I found a kitten stuck in the tree outside, and I rescued him. Look!” Liam could hear his son’s excited chatter rising in crescendo with his daughter’s squeals of delight. Cora and the kids began talking over each other in a jumble of exclamations.
“Oh, how sweet.”
“He looks just like a miniature Angel.”
“Please, can we keep him?”
“He’s all alone and needs us!”
Liam glanced suspiciously at Angel, who was calmly licking a paw as if everything was going according to some grand plan. Not liking the direction this was heading, Liam crouched down until he was nose to nose with the scheming feline. “I see what’s going on here, cat. And I want you to know,I object. Do you hear me? No other mangy beast can take your place. So, if you’re thinking of leaving us with a wee, mewling ball of fluff to help soften the blow? It won’t work.”
Angel settled on the king-sized quilt, tucking his paws and staring at Liam through half-closed eyes like a wise sphinx. A soft purr began rumbling in his chest. It was the feline equivalent of a benevolent pat on the head, and Liam felt like he was being placated by an elderly mentor. He didn’t like it one bit.
“Now, you listen here—” Liam began.
“Dad,” his son interrupted from the bottom of the stairs. “Mom says we have to put up Lost Kitten ads in the neighborhood, but if no one answers, we get to keep him!”
Liam narrowed his eyes at the still purring cat. “No one’s going to answer those ads, are they?”
Angel glanced away, ignoring him, which was answer enough.
Liam opened his mouth to argue further, but Cora called up the stairs, reminding him it was time to leave. He stood and lifted his chin, stubbornly pointing a finger at the cat. “This conversation is not over.”
Then he hurried downstairs to join his family, his own voice melding with theirs in a chorus of boisterous exclamations and good-natured teasing as they all walked into the sunshine together.
Many years into the future...
“Look at her go,” Agon said proudly as he sank into the cushioned lounge chair. “Liam and Cora’s daughter has exceeded all our expectations.”
“Did you ever doubt it?” Samael asked from the matching recliner beside him. They were sitting in the Chamber of Judgment, now a rather inviting place awash in colorful works of art, brightly patterned rugs, and even an elevated cushion in the corner for their four-legged friend. Over the years, Samael had begrudgingly agreed there was no harm in adding a few creature comforts to the place, and Agon had proceeded with joyful abandon. It was such an improvement to the original stark chamber that others who worked in their division had begun to follow suit. Though Agon knew Samael would never admit it, he suspected it gave his colleague no small amount of satisfaction to know they’d started a trend at the Department of Destiny.
