Lavender And Vanilla A Wonderful Scent

Chapter 22

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I nodded at what Dogday had said, I didn’t think it was right that the older children looked after the younger ones to such an extent that they also looked after the house they all lived in but, who was I to judge? As we walked further into Home Sweet Home I saw more older children running around and cleaning but then I saw one who stood out from the rest. While most of the children were wearing dresses, skirts, shorts and shirts that were all perfectly pressed and in all the smiling critter colours, even purple surprisingly. This one child of about eight was wearing something like a hospital gown, she had brown curly hair that was cut short and hung just below her ears, she had deep brown eyes and a freckles face. Besides the fact that she was the only one who was dressed differently she was also the only one that had a toy with her, a Bunzo bunny plushie that looked like it had seen better days. 

Tugging lightly on Dogday's am I pointed to the girl and looked back up at him, trying to ask him why she was standing there by herself, he sighed but stated to explain.
“Her name is Jessica and she’s the last child to be taken today, the Bunzo plushie was the first toy she chose and so as it goes, tha-”
He stopped and sighed again, having trouble saying it. But I knew what he was talking about and I had already started walking over to her. Though a lot of the children were still unsure of me I didn’t think she’d care too much. As I reached her and bent down to her level she looked up at me and smiled softly, stretching out her hand and softly placing it on my head, petting me and giggling softly. Soon she pulled her hand back and started to speak.
“Hello Kitty, my name is Jessica”
She had the biggest smile on her face as she introduced herself to me, she had a higher pitched voice then some of the other children I had heard but she was gentle and caring.

I smiled at her as Dogday came over to us and crouched down with me, Jessica flinched a bit as Dogday came over but her smile never wavered and went to give him a hug, never once dropping her plushie. As she pulled back from the hug Dogday introduced me.
“Jessica this is Catnap he’s the new Nap time overseer… and he’d love to be your friend”
Dogday's voice broke a bit toward the end but Jessica just reached out and started patting his head too. Jessica obviously knew something about what was going on here and or she was just very close to Dogday.
“How old are you Kitty?”
She asked, taking me off guard, I didn’t know if she was talking about how old I was or how old I am now truth be told I didn’t really know either. So I shrugged, not having a better answer for her. She nodded, seeming to understand why or how I didn’t know somehow.
“That's fair, Dogday won't tell me either or maybe you just don’t know yet. You were made not too long ago, about the time that I was told I was going somewhere special… I know I’m not going to be coming back to the Playcare after this but… Dogday let me say bye to all my friends which was good, not many are able to”

There were tears welling up in the corner of her eyes as she tried to continue what she was saying but she wasn’t able to, as those tears started to fall down her rosy cheeks, hitting the wood floors with soft thuds and the weight of everything she hadn’t said. I opened my arms to her and she slowly walked into them hugging me as tight as she could. We stayed, well I stayed with Jessica for the rest of her time in Home Sweet Home, Dogday had to go see the other children and make sure they were doing as they were told. They didn’t really need anyone to watch them while they go about three days to day because they all knew that disobeying was a one way ticket to punishment but they all appreciated having Dogday with them.

Around about three hours later Dogday came back to me and Jessica with a scientist. I roughly recognized him as one of the people that came to get me when it was my turn. Before I let Jessica go with them I took her to the fair corner of the room and handed her a prototype toy. It was an orange fox plushie that at one point was going to be a new smiling critter but it was scrapped before being named and only one of these plushies were made. She took it without complaints and I took her Bunzo.
“D-do yo-y-you kn-k-know i-if th-t-they wi-will a-as-ask y-you qu-quest-q-questions?”
Jessica shook her head as she looked over the fox plush I had given her, she seemed to love it. Giving her one more big hug I started walking back to the main room, where Dogday and the scientist were waiting.
“I-if y-y-you fi-fin-fing m-m-me a-ag-again t-tel-tell m-me y-y-yo-your na-a-an-name”
Jessica Nodded and ran off to Dogday and gave him a big hug before walking off with the scientist, the biggest smile playing on her face as tears fell like a waterfall down her rosy cheeks.

After Jessica left I excused myself and went Home. walking through the front door and closing it behind me, I didn’t bother to light a fire or crawl into my cat bed, instead I walked up the stairs and went into my room, locking the door behind me and falling onto my bed and blacking out.

I don’t know how long I was asleep but I woke up to the sound of soft, considerate knocking on my door. Sitting up and rubbing my eyes I stood up and walked to the door finding Dogday standing there with two cups of hot chocolate.
“Hey Kitten, you mind if I come in?”
Silently I opened the door and gestured for him to come in, to which he did and when to go sit on the floor near the bed. Sighing I closed my door and went to flop onto my bed again.
“Are you alright Naps?”
He asked while handing me a cup of the hot chocolate he had made. I simply shook my head and let out a loud sigh taking the cup he had offered me. I turned to look out the window, it was only just sunset, which was normally my favourite time of the day but I just couldn’t bring myself to get up and walk over to the window. Dogday must have seen something on my face though because he stood up and held his hand out for me to take, which I reluctantly did.

He brought me over to the window, opened it and carved out it standing in the windowsill for a heart beat before jumping up and onto my roof. I almost had two heart attacks while he was doing it but as he got up there and put his paw down to help me up my heart slowed to something like a normal. As the two of us sat on the roof, drinking our hot chocolate and watching the sunset. I couldn’t help but think of Jessica, though I didn’t know her long. She felt more like a child, my child than any of the others in the Playcare. Leaning into Dogday I smiled slightly when he wrapped a blanket that he had somehow brought up with us, as was snuggled together. There was no need to say anything between us, he understood more than anyone would, he was the one who had to send them off after all.