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“Good night,” Neil said.
“Good night.”
I left the building feeling bemused. Was that him being nice to me?
Cat Dad replied to my message the next morning.
Don’t worry about it. Thanks for telling me.
I sprang upright in bed.
I knew it!
He wasn’t mad at me at all. So far, he was still living up to the man I imagined him to be. I typed my reply, fully awake now.
I’m not normally that clumsy, I promise! How are the kitties? I noticed Bowey had a wee scratch on his face.
He’s always getting hurt. I don’t know how he does it.
Poor lil fella.
Maybe he annoyed Chichi too much. She’s been known to take a swipe at him now and again.
Haha! I can imagine her doing that.
We continued to text back and forth as I got ready for work. The next message was a photograph of his cats cuddled up together on the couch. Bowey’s head was tucked under Chichi’s chin, and Chichi’s front legs were wrapped around him like a hug. Something else in the picture caught my attention. Cat Dad was partially visible—but just his knee, sadly.
So cute!
It’s the one-year anniversary since I adopted them today.
Happy anniversary!
He sent another picture. This time of two scrawny, scraggly looking kittens staring at the camera with wide, frightened eyes.
This is what they looked like when I adopted them.
Wow! They look so much happier and healthier now. You must be looking after them well.
They had a rough start in life, but they’re doing much better now.
Thanks for giving them a better life. That was so kind of you to adopt them.
I wish I could adopt more, but sadly I’m too busy to look after more animals at the moment, and an apartment isn’t the best place for them. Maybe in the future.
I’d like to adopt animals too one day. I never had pets growing up.
Cat Dad didn’t reply. I set my phone down with a wistful sigh.
Who was Cat Dad? I wondered what he looked like, what his voice sounded like, and what he did for a living. Part of me wished I could meet him face to face, but I shook my head, banishing the thought. What was the point? It seemed inevitable that he wouldn’t live up to the fantasy man in my head. Not to mention I’d be leaving the country at some point. No. I was his cleaner, nothing more, and that’s how it would stay.
Chapter Twenty
Inoticed something strange about Neil’s appearance as I set his morning coffee on his desk.
He was unshaven.
I couldn’t figure out why this rattled me so much until I realised it was the first time I had ever seen him even slightly ungroomed. It was out of character for him. Had the late night taken its toll? My eyes lingered, absorbing his new look. He had flecks of grey in his stubble, which was oddly appealing…
