Page 110 of Meet Cute Reboot
Cassie and I carefully re-home the kittens to a cardboard box that we soften up with a few old rags. She keeps an eye on them while I head to Walmart for cat food, kitty shampoo, eye droppers, and kitten formula. I pick up food and water dishes for momma in hopes that I’ll be able to coax her into the light.
When I return home, Cassie is still where I left her—on the couch pressed close to the cardboard box, staring down at the kittens dotingly. I drop my bags onto the kitchen island, grab abowl, and warm up some formula. Cassie is ready for me when I join her on the couch. I hand her a towel, and she spreads it underneath the yellow tabby.
“They need to eat every two hours.” She looks at me apologetically. It’s four o’clock in the morning and I feel like a pile of cement slabs is trying to flatten me into a polka dot. I can’t stay up late like I used to.
I peer down into the box of mewing kittens. I’m the dad of two tortoiseshells and two yellow tabbies. Not exactly how I intended to fill up my empty bedrooms.
I scratch a yellow tabby behind the ears, and it hisses at me. “Hey. I’m saving you. Show some respect.”
“I can take the first shift if you want to take the six o’clock shift.” She positions the bowl of formula beside her on the couch cushion and fills the eye dropper. The kitten eagerly laps up the milk as she dispenses it drop by drop.
“This is only our first official date, and we already have babies.”
Cassie gives me the side-eye and shakes her head. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“Oh. I’m not. Also, I smell like one-hundred-year-old filth. I’m going to pop into the shower and then try to catch some sleep. You can leave these little guys in the pantry while you sleep.”
“I’ll sleep on the couch here next to them.”
I grin at her.
“I don’t want them to get scared.”
“Okay. Let me get you an extra blanket.”
I find her a blanket and pillow, and then I almost fall asleep in the shower. By the time I make it to bed, I only have an hour until I need to feed the kittens. I make good use of it, my brain dropping into delta mode as soon as my head hits the pillow. When my alarm goes off at six, I tiptoe into the living room and resituate the box of kittens next to my recliner. I sink deep intothe chair and feed them one by one while I linger in a half-awake state where dreams are still possible but not refreshing. After the feeding, I can’t make myself move from the chair. I recline it fully and sleep flat on my back.
Cassie covers eight o’clock and I take the ten o’clock shift. By then, we’re both in an exhausted version of “awake.” She makes coffee while the kittens lick up the last of their formula. I make sure they’re all snuggled comfortably in the pile of rags before heading into the kitchen.
“I’ll put food and water at the crawlspace entrance to try to coax the momma cat out,” I say.
“Until then they need to eat every two hours.”
“Even if the mom comes out, I’m not sure she’s in any shape to feed them. Crawlspace life must be tough.”
Cassie nods. “I can take them home with me if you’d rather.”
“No. You’re too busy. I got it.”
She smiles. I think I read satisfaction on her face, which satisfies me.
“I told Mom I’d be there for lunch today,” Cassie says after a long moment of enjoying our coffee in silence.
“The Sunday tradition is still alive?”
“Yep. Church and then Nana’s house for a pitch-in.”
“You’re missing church.”
“It’s okay. I’m calling this a mini vacation.”
“Did you tell them you were staying overnight at my house?”
She looks at me like I just uttered crazy-talk. “Are you kidding? They’d jump to all the wrong conclusions.”
I regard her with my head tilted to the left. Of course they would conclude that we’re sleeping together. But what else might they conclude? That we’re an item again? An official couple? Would that be so bad? I want to ask her, but I restrain myself. I’ve not only resolved to take it slow physically, but also in the emotions department. Obviously, I’m already all-in. Basedon the last twenty-four hours, Cassie seems “in” but I suspect her commitment is still contingent on many factors, including continuing to rebuild the trust that I destroyed all those years ago.
Bottom line, I’m not going to push it.