Globetrotter Ingrid gets a fabulous fresh start when her job takes her to Melbourne, Australia. Here she meets wise and sweet Oliver, who makes her forget she doesn't have a heart.
This successful stability prompts Ingrid to accept an invitation to...
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May 2018
Using his hoodie for a blankie, Oliver scooped up the cats and carried them inside Ingrid's house.
"Uh..." Ingrid turned on all the lights and rushed ahead after locking the front door. "Do you... where should we put them?"
Oliver scanned the living area, separated from the kitchen space by a large, white sofa. A glass coffee table stood between the couch and the widescreen TV fixed to the wall. Bookshelves flanked it on either side and a big potted plant took up the right-hand corner of the room. Oliver headed for the other one.
"Could we use one of those boxes?" He nodded to the stash of cardboard Ingrid had shoved behind the sofa.
"Uh... sure, yeah." She took one out and opened it wide, bringing it over. "Guess it's a good thing I didn't take out the recycling, after all."
Oliver chuckled. He carefully lowered his hoodie bundle into the box as Ingrid pushed down on the lid flaps.
"We should cut these off," Oliver said. "And I think Momma here could use a drink of water."
Ingrid stood up to fetch a pair of scissors and small bowl of water from the kitchen.
"Should we take them to a vet or something?" she asked.
"I'm going to check with Sara," Oliver answered, holding the bowl to Momma's muzzle. Her little tongue dipped in and out, but she had no energy to sit up. "Maybe she can come over."
"Sara? Pri's sister?"
"Uh-huh."
Ingrid nodded. "Okay, good. Um..." She rubbed at her nape, exhaustion etched into the lines on her forehead. "Will you be okay on your own for ten minutes? I really need a shower."
"Yeah, absolutely." He smiled up at her. "I'll keep an eye on them."
"Great. Make yourself at home."
Ingrid padded into the bathroom across the hall and Oliver picked up the scissors. The box plastered with cargo labels comfortably fitted all five cats, but its tall sides kept out all the light. So, after trimming the torn and sticky flaps, Oliver proceeded to cut out an 'exit' into the room – for more light to come in and the momma cat to climb out if she wanted.
Sara replied to his text as he got up to discard the cardboard remnants. She promised to visit first thing on Monday, advising Oliver to keep the kittens in a warm and quiet place in the meantime. And try not to bother Mum too much, if she's a stray, she might not like it.
Thanks, Sara, he wrote back, collapsing on the sofa. I'll keep that in mind.
The muffled sound of Ingrid showering filled the room after Oliver dropped his phone on the coffee table. He gulped. A creeping sensation gripped him, that he was a stranger in her space. He shuddered, surprised. New places, whether airports, cities, or people's homes, never made him feel uncomfortable.
