who am i to you?

6.2

"These are Mystic's kittens."

Yuxi brought a box of newborn kittens into the house from the garage. She brought the kittens of her ashera cat since she's about to give them up for adoption later after spending lunch with the family. Yuxi is my cousin who just got married recently so she's not living here anymore.

"Cute!" Tian's reaction upon seeing the small cats.

The kittens are all indeed cute. They look like small leopard cats. Mystic has been her house cat since before Yuxi moved out to live with her husband.

Yuxi placed the box down the floor of the living room and we crowded around it — me, Tian, Yi and Yang. Unlike with my father's side cousin, I'm still the youngest here but my cousins are just older by a few years. Yuxi is the oldest among us and she's just twenty-two.

"Are you really gonna give them up for adoption?" I asked, taking one of the light shade kittens.

"No one wants them."

I looked down on the kitten, stroking its head gently. It purred onto me, the trembling on its little body subsiding. I cradled it in my arm like a baby, caressing its soft fur.

"Can I have one?" I asked.

"Sure, but ask auntie first."

"Are you gonna take it back home with you?" Yi asked.

"If Mom lets me."

"You'll need to convince her real good," Yang said. "No one but us likes animals in this family."

I stood up with the cat still in my arms. It fell back asleep, getting comfortable with me. I smiled at the little thing. I really want to keep it.

So with the kitten, like a new father, I took it with me to convince my Mom who's talking with her siblings on the balcony, having early wine drinks.

Before I was able to leave, the main door of the house opened and my cousin Zhixi arrived. Ling Yun was with him, his best friend that is practically a part of our family now. It was not them that made me stop and look, it's the other person with them. A girl, younger than Ling Yun probably, and she looks a bit like him.

"Jiang!" Ling Yun greeted me.

"Hi, Ling Yun."

"It's been a while." He approached me and gave me a manly hug with the cat still with me. "Cute!" he said when he saw the cat. Then, his brows furrowed upon seeing my cast. "What happened to your arm?"

"I fell down the stairs."

Worry registered on his face. "Were you good?"