Page 64 of Buttons

“I would expect nothing less, O’Malley,” Julian replies, the ghost of that unfamiliar smile still playing around his mouth.

As they walk away, Julian pauses briefly beside me. “You and the kids will be okay?”

“Yes,” I tell him. “We’re fine.”

He nods, looking relieved and disappointed simultaneously. Then he follows Sarah toward the parking lot, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Twenty minutes later, I’m helping another potential adopter fill out paperwork for a beautiful tuxedo when Sarah reappears at my elbow.

“Your estranged hubby carried twelve forty-pound bags of cat litter without complaining,” she reports, sounding personally offended by this development. “And he asked semi-intelligent questions about the shelter’s intake process.”

“Maybe he’s been body-snatched,” I suggest with a joking gasp.

“I asked him that.” Sarah’s eyes narrow. “He said aliens rejected him for being too uptight, but they’re reconsidering after he offered to reorganize their ship.”

A laugh escapes before I can stop it. Julian making self-deprecating jokes? Julian acknowledging his own rigid personality? It would be great if Julian finally understood that while he may prefer to do things certain ways—i.e. rigidly—there are other ways.

The adoption fair continues, busier than expected for a Thursday afternoon. I lose track of Julian for a while as I help match families with pets and explain the adoption process to newcomers. Leo stays close to his gray tabby friend, proudly telling visitors about the cat’s progress. Meredith appoints herself “kitten ambassador,” introducing Pepper to anyone who will listen. I don’t think she realizes Pepper is unlikely to get adopted while in her arms.

As the fair winds down and visitors thin out, Sarah and I begin packing up the information pamphlets and adoption forms. Julian approaches, carrying a cat carrier that contains a sleeping orange tabby.

“Where does this one go?” he asks, holding out the carrier as far away from his body as possible.

“My truck,” Sarah replies. “He’s going to the vet.”

“Good. Thing has been sneezing non-stop. I was seconds from contacting the CDC.”

We head toward Sarah’s truck together. She’s leaving for the vet immediately, and since Julian is effectively under my supervision, I’m not taking any chances. I need to make sure he doesn’t step into the path of a car when the gravel dust kicks up, or worse, fumbles the carrier if the cat sneezes. Luckily, Beatrix is sending our last dog off to its new family, so I’ll have backup if needed.

Sarah climbs into her truck with a final warning to Julian about showing up uninvited again. This one lacks her earlier venom, but the message is clear as he turns to me in the driveway.

“The children enjoyed themselves today,” he says, carefully neutral. “Leo mentioned the next adoption fair is in three months. I could help again, if that wouldn’t be intrusive. Maybe plan ahead this time?”

Beatrix must have heard him because she says, “That won’t be necessary.” I cock my head to the side, surprised, considering Julian has done exceptionally well today. Meanwhile, Julian sighs. “If the grant is approved, Elowen will have her hands busy as the director of the cat sanctuary. I assume she’d want to host her own adoption fairs and will need all the volunteers at her own location she can get.”

“Really?” I ask. “You mean it? I’ll be a director?”

“Well, Sarah has a full-time job, and I’m getting too old to commute between two different places. You fit right in, Elowen.” She pauses. “Though I suppose you’ll need a salary.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m sure when Julian and I divorce, my alimony will be more than enough to live on. Right, Julian?” I don’t ask him to be cruel, but to gauge if he is going to fight the idea of alimony.

Surprisingly, he makes this choked noise in his throat before avoiding my eyes. It pains him. “Yes, Elowen,” he murmurs. “Whatever you want, you’ll have.”

“Nonsense,” Beatrix says. “Formulating a cat sanctuary from scratch is no easy feat. You deserve to get paid for your work. Granted, it won’t be a lot, but it’ll be something, at least.”

I shake her hand. “Deal. Twenty percent below market. For the cats.”

“For the cats,” she mumbles.

Chapter 26

Elowen

The roads are empty as I drive home from the adoption fair. We stayed until late, helping Beatrix clean up. The kids didn’t mind, and instead, they turned it into a game. Now, I’ve got that kids’ Barney tune about cleaning up stuck in my head.

In the rearview mirror, I can see both children slumped against their seatbelts, heads tilted at angles that would cripple an adult but somehow look perfectly comfortable on them. Ah, to be young. The day’s excitement has finally caught up with them, including their father showing up, caring about animal welfare and manual labor. I still can’t quite process it. Julian Plaza, carrying bags of cat litter without complaint. Julian Plaza, taking direction from Sarah without pulling rank. Julian Plaza, asking about coming back to help at the next adoption fair. Something’s changed in him, but I only wish it had happened sooner.

We pull into our apartment complex, and once parked, I cut the engine.