Because It's You - English Version

¤ 34 - Return

Nate sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. She'd been stuck in the playroom all day, watching the kittens run wild. Her dad was picking her up tomorrow to head back to Brighton, and she was dreading leaving them behind. Could she maybe take a couple of them home with her?

Nate took out her phone to call her dad. She was still a bit confused about what Mum had said about Sunday—did it mean Dad would be arriving then, or just departing?

"I'm catching the cricket game on telly," Dad said. "What's going on?"

"When are you heading out? Today or tomorrow?" Nate asked.

"Where?"

"Didn't Mum say you were coming to get me?"

"Did you tell Matilda I'd be picking her up?" Dad asked, presumably asking Mum.

"Did I say this Sunday specifically?" Mum shot back. "There are loads of Sundays. Just tell her to quit being annoying and hang up!"

Nate was cut off before she could respond, and she jammed her phone away in irritation. Why hadn't her mum just sent her some money if she didn't intend to ask her dad to come get her?

Nate went downstairs to speak with Frida, feeling a bit guilty for initially asking to return to the UK, only to now have to delay her plans. However, Frida, who was sitting at the reception desk, seemed pleased when Nate mentioned she would be staying on a bit longer.

"No need to rush off. I'm fine with you staying on here till you've got everything sorted," Frida said.

What's she talking about? Nate didn't have any outstanding business to take care of. Frida took her files and headed into the exam room, leaving Nate at the front desk. She looked up as the front door opened. Too late to make a quick escape.

"Hi," Julian said with a smile. "Are you tied up at the moment?"

Nate wanted to ignore Julian, but she was on the clock and he was a client. "No, not especially," she said politely. "What can I do for you?"

"When do you get off? Can you grab a few minutes with me?"

"I'm waiting for Dad. Can't really hang out right now."

Nate felt uneasy as the silence between her and Julian grew. She busied herself with the schedule book, trying not to meet his gaze.

"But I was wondering if you could check on Muffin for me," Julian said, causing Nate to look up at him.

"Is everything all right with Muffin?" Nate asked, a note of anxiety creeping into her voice.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what's wrong with her. She's been a bit unsettled and off her food for a few days now," Julian said. "You've been taking care of her, so I thought you might be able to shed some light on what's going on."

Nate didn't hesitate, quickly finding Frida to let her know she was off, before getting into Julian's car with him. As they drove to his flat, she found herself worrying about all sorts of possibilities—had Muffin eaten something bad, or swallowed something she shouldn't have, or was she just a bit poorly?

Upon arriving at Julian's flat, Nate spotted the grey cat curled up on the rug. As she stepped inside, Muffin rushed over to greet her, eager to say hello before Nate had even had a chance to remove her shoes.

"Look, she knows you instantly," Julian said.

"Muffin, sweetheart, what's wrong? You okay?" Nate gently lifted Muffin into her arms and carried her inside.

Nate attempted to entice Muffin with some wet food from the clinic, and to her relief, the cat wolfed it down.

"She's chomping down on that food. Maybe she's just stressed from the change of scenery?" Nate said thoughtfully.