Chasing The Crown

Chapter #11: ❝The Ragdoll Problem❞

It was early morning when Joshua stirred awake, the sunlight filtering through his window. Stretching, he glanced at the time and sighed. He had hoped to sleep in a little longer, but his mind wouldn’t let him rest. Resigning himself, he rolled out of bed and made his way downstairs.

As he entered the kitchen, he spotted Kaitlyn already seated at the dining table, munching on her breakfast. She glanced up as he entered, offering a nod of acknowledgment.

“Good morning, Kuya,” she greeted, barely looking up from her food.

“Good morning,” Joshua replied, grabbing a cup of coffee. He glanced around, noting the empty seats. “Mom and Dad at work already?”

“Yep, as usual,” Kaitlyn replied, taking another bite. “They were gone before I even woke up.”

Joshua shrugged, not too surprised. Their parents had always been early risers, especially with their demanding schedules. But as he scanned the room, he noticed someone was missing.

“Where’s Rhiannon?” he asked, frowning slightly.

Kaitlyn set down her spoon, a slight look of concern on her face. “She’s upstairs, resting. Woke up early too, but she was having a sneezing fit.”

Joshua’s frown deepened. “Sneezing fit? She was fine last night when she was in my room.”

Kaitlyn nodded. “I thought so too, but when she came to my room early this morning looking for her T-squared ruler, she had a runny nose and looked a bit out of it. I told her to go back to bed and rest.”

Joshua took a sip of his coffee, mulling over this. “Is it serious?”

Kaitlyn shrugged. “Not really. Just her usual sneezing problem. But you know how it is—sometimes it gets hard for her to breathe if it gets worse.”

Joshua nodded, already piecing it together. “You think it’s her fur allergy again?”

Kaitlyn sighed. “Probably. She was playing with Mochi yesterday. You know how that goes.”

Joshua couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head. Their ragdoll cat, Mochi, was Rhiannon’s pride and joy despite her allergies. He recalled the time their parents had considered selling Mochi because of Rhiannon’s allergies. Rhiannon, however, had refused to let that happen, crying for a full hour and pleading with him to convince their parents to keep the cat.

Joshua smiled at the memory. “Remember how she cried and begged us to convince Mom and Dad not to sell Mochi?”

Kaitlyn laughed, nodding. “Oh, I remember. She was relentless. It took both of us to calm her down, and in the end, they gave in and even bought her a donut to cheer her up.”

“Rhiannon has always had a way of getting what she wants,” Joshua murmured with a smirk.

“True,” Kaitlyn agreed. “But you have to admit, Mochi is pretty attached to her too. That cat won’t let anyone else near her without some kind of fuss.”

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As if on cue, they heard a soft meow coming from the hallway. They turned to see Mochi padding her way toward Rhiannon’s room, her fluffy tail held high. The door to Rhiannon’s room was slightly ajar, and Mochi nudged it open a bit more with her nose.

“Mochi, don’t even think about it,” Kaitlyn said sternly, standing up and walking over to the door. She reached down to pick up the cat, but Mochi hissed, her claws flexing defensively as she glared at Kaitlyn.

“Yup, definitely Rhiannon’s cat,” Joshua muttered, stifling a laugh as he watched the scene unfold. “Same attitude.”

Kaitlyn sighed, carefully withdrawing her hand. “Fine, you win, Mochi. But if Rhiannon wakes up with another sneezing fit, I’m blaming you.”

Mochi merely flicked her tail, casting Kaitlyn a haughty look before slinking past her into Rhiannon’s room. Joshua and Kaitlyn exchanged glances, a mixture of exasperation and amusement on their faces.

“She really is hopeless when it comes to Mochi,” Joshua said, shaking his head.

Kaitlyn returned to her seat, picking up her coffee. “Well, I guess she can’t help it. Rhiannon’s always been soft-hearted, especially with animals. And Mochi…well, Mochi’s her weakness.”

“Yeah, I just wish her allergies weren’t so bad,” Joshua replied. “It’s not fair to either of them.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. After a few minutes, Joshua stood up. “I’ll go check on her, make sure she’s okay.”

Kaitlyn nodded, a small smile on her face. “Alright, Kuya. Tell her to let us know if she needs anything.”

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Joshua made his way upstairs, pushing open the door to Rhiannon’s room. There she was, curled up under a pile of blankets with Mochi snuggled up beside her. Despite her congested nose and puffy eyes, she had a contented smile on her face as she stroked the cat’s soft fur.

“Hey, bunso,” Joshua whispered, stepping inside.

Rhiannon looked up, her eyes brightening when she saw him. “Kuya, you’re up early.”

He chuckled softly. “Just came to check on you. Kaitlyn told me you weren’t feeling great.”

Rhiannon scrunched her nose, reaching for a tissue. “It’s not that bad. Just… you know, a little allergy attack.” She sneezed, wiping her nose with a groan. “But I can handle it.”

Joshua shook his head, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “Maybe if you didn’t insist on cuddling Mochi all the time, you wouldn’t have this problem.”

Rhiannon pouted, hugging the cat closer. “I can’t help it, Kuya. She’s just too cute.”

Mochi gave a soft purr, as if agreeing with her. Joshua rolled his eyes, amused by the sight. “Alright, alright. But just try not to overdo it, okay? I don’t want you getting any worse.”

Rhiannon smiled, nodding. “I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s Saturday. No classes today, so I can just rest.”

“Good,” Joshua said, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently. “Just take it easy. And call us if you need anything.”

She grinned up at him, the mischievous spark back in her eyes despite her stuffy nose. “I will, Kuya. Salamat.”

Joshua stood, glancing at Mochi one last time before heading to the door. “Oh, and Mochi—be nice to Kaitlyn. She’s trying, you know.”

Rhiannon giggled, giving the cat a playful pat. “Hear that, Mochi? Be nice to Ate Kaitlyn.”

Mochi merely blinked up at him, her green eyes holding a look of indifference. Joshua smirked, giving a final wave before leaving the room.

As he made his way downstairs, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth. His family could be chaotic and challenging, but moments like these made him grateful.

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