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Layla’s brows pinched in confusion. “I don’t really…” she began.
Alanna sighed. Of course, her sister wouldn’t be able to compute the concept ofcat + negative adjective. “Fine. Which one is up next for…” Alanna drew a finger across her neck.
“Oh.” Layla’s lips pressed together as if she could barely stomach the thought. “Val and all of us have been working so hard to turn YHAR into a no-kill shelter. We actually recently had a very successful fundraiser, which should allow us to expand the shelter and do more outreach for foster guardians. But…” She released a long sigh. “We’re not quite there yet. We do have to put a number of animals down each year who would otherwise be adoptable when they’ve been at the shelter too long.” Layla’s eyes grew shiny with tears. “It’s just… just so sad,” she hiccupped.
Layla blinked rapidly and pushed her hands across her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Alanna, new admiration shining in her gaze. “It’s so wonderful that you want to adopt one of our long-term residents.”
“Yeah, I guess it really is.” Alanna tried to sound humble.
An excited smile replaced Layla’s sad expression, lighting her face like the sun breaking through a cluster of storm clouds. “I’ve actually got the perfect cat for you.”
Layla turned so fast her braid swung around her waist. She practically skipped off to an enclosure on the far side of the room, and Alanna picked up her pace to follow.
“I’d like to introduce you to…” Layla thrust a hand toward the enclosure, “Simon.”
Alanna bent over and looked through the plastic panel. She noted a puddle of black fur contained within a cat bed. Two amber eyes stared back at her from within the puddle.
“Simon is eight years old,” Layla said. “His previous family had to downsize due to a health issue with the father. Their new apartment didn’t allow cats. You’d be amazed at how many people have to surrender their pets due to housing restrictions. It’s so—”
“Sad?” Alanna guessed.
Layla nodded. “They don’t want to give up their pets but, for some, it’s the only option.” Her smile slipped off her face. “We both know how much of a struggle it can be to find housing.”
Understatement of the century. Though, Layla never really seemed to mind the tiny, cramped apartments that defined their childhood. Even living in a car or at the shelter never doused Layla’s sunny attitude.
“Anyway.” Layla’s voice perked back to a cheerful tone. “Simon is really friendly and calm. He’d be perfect for someone with a, um, busy schedule who can’t be home all the time.”
As if intuiting that they were talking about him, Simon stood from his bed, arched his back, then approached the front of the enclosure. Alanna watched as the decidedly non-mutant, non-terrible cat rubbed his face against the front of the enclosure.
“A lot of people don’t want to adopt older cats, and black cats always have the hardest time getting adopted.” Layla dropped to her knees in front of the enclosure. “Poor Simon,” she murmured to the cat. “It’s not your fault. All you need is a chance. You’re such a loving, happy cat.”
Layla turned to Alanna. “Simon was brought in almost a year ago.” She lowered her voice as if afraid the cat would overhear. “He’s only got two months left until…” She couldn’t even say the words. “His time is running out. I tried to convince Cal to let me adopt him, but Cal said if we had to have cats, he wanted kittens.”
Yep, sounded like Cal. Layla’s fiancé seemed to spend his life playing an invisible game ofDick Move Bingo.Alanna wondered if her sister would ever grow a pair and dump the sleazy car salesman. Obviously not. The glinting diamond boulder on her finger was proof of that.
Layla opened the front door of the enclosure and proceeded to make kissy noises. Simon eagerly thrust his head out of the enclosure. Layla stroked his cheek, and a deep, rumbling purr immediately vibrated from Simon’s body. Alanna crossed her arms over her chest and gazed critically at her sister.
“Layla, is Simon really your worst cat? He certainly doesn’t seem like the worst.”
As if to prove her point, the large black cat purred even louder as he tilted his head so Layla could scratch under his chin.
Layla averted her gaze from Alanna. “He’d be such a great pet for you. Look how adorable he is.” Simon flopped onto his back, spreading his arms and legs so Layla could scratch his belly.
“Layla.” That’s all Alanna had to say. She could always break her little sister like an egg.
“There’s another cat,” Layla whispered.
“I thought so.”
“But, Alanna, you don’t want her,” Layla said quickly, her voice almost pleading. “Petunia has severe behavioral issues. An old lady with dementia used to own her. The lady’s daughter told us she was a hoarder. Petunia was never socialized properly. She’s not even litter box trained. She’s been returned twice by prospective pet parents.”
Alanna smiled. “Is she on the chopping block?”
Layla nodded. “She’s got two days left, but we’re not supposed to show her to anyone. After they’ve been returned twice, we don’t let them go out again.”
“I want to see her,” Alanna demanded.
The two sisters stared at each other, Layla’s blue eyes wide and beseeching, Alanna’s gaze unwavering. Finally, Layla looked down. She placed a light kiss on Simon’s head and gently maneuvered him back into the enclosure. He let out a sad meow as she closed and secured the door.
