When Cole woke at noon on Saturday, he yawned and stumbled downstairs to see Daisy barking, wagging her tail and circling Joe. Next to Joe, crouched on the floor, was a tall woman with blond hair leaning over a cage.
Cole looked at his father with a growing realization that not only had his father taken a nest of kittens into the house, but his father was clearly smitten with the woman. Joe gazed at her, thought Cole in a way that resembled many of Cole's friends staring at girls in Physical Education classes in spring, the first time girls peeled away sweats to show long legs in outgrown shorts.
"Are these ours?" asked Cole. "Do we have a bunch of cats?"
Both his father and the woman turned to him. "Your father offered to foster them," said the woman. "That means you'll bathe them, feed them, show them the litter box, and generally socialize them."
"So we have a bunch of cats?" repeated Cole.
"It's temporary," said Joe, "and it will be great. It will be a growth experience."
What the hell is he talking about, thought Cole, but he said nothing. He nodded and walked into the kitchen. He knew well that two was company, this particular three -- not counting the kittens -- was a crowd.
Cole looked at his father with a growing realization that not only had his father taken a nest of kittens into the house, but his father was clearly smitten with the woman. Joe gazed at her, thought Cole in a way that resembled many of Cole's friends staring at girls in Physical Education classes in spring, the first time girls peeled away sweats to show long legs in outgrown shorts.
"Are these ours?" asked Cole. "Do we have a bunch of cats?"
Both his father and the woman turned to him. "Your father offered to foster them," said the woman. "That means you'll bathe them, feed them, show them the litter box, and generally socialize them."
"So we have a bunch of cats?" repeated Cole.
"It's temporary," said Joe, "and it will be great. It will be a growth experience."
What the hell is he talking about, thought Cole, but he said nothing. He nodded and walked into the kitchen. He knew well that two was company, this particular three -- not counting the kittens -- was a crowd.
