Happy Birthday Anna (DDLG)

Chapter 2

Anna was not a morning person. She never had been. Even when she didn't have to get up early, she hated getting up. Unfortunately her bladder had other ideas and she grabbed her glasses off the nightstand before stumbling into the bathroom. She finished her business and walked back to her room, only slightly more awake than she had been. 
    She crawled back into bed and checked her phone. After seeing no new messages, she tried to go back to sleep but after five minutes of tossing and turning she gave up. She threw back the covers and walked to her kitchen. She found her favorite mug in the dishwasher while she waited for her Keurig to heat up. 
    She had just decided on what k-cup she wanted when she heard a knock on the door. Ever cautious, she walked quietly to the door. She peered into the peephole and gasped in surprise. She fumbled with the chain and unlocked the door. "Papa!" she cried happily as she flung open the door. She would have dove into his arms except they were laden with a bag, a box, and two big coffees. 
    "Happy birthday, Kitten!" he grinned. He walked into her apartment and set the bag and box down on her kitchen counter and table. She could see the little cake inside the box and could smell biscuits and gravy coming from the bags. He turned around and managed to catch her as she flung herself at him. He spun her around and she giggled and cuddled close to him. She felt a surge of emotion as he set her down. 
    "What are you doing here, Papa?" she asked. "I thought you said you were going to be too busy to stop by today."
    He smiled and shook his head. "Anna Kitten Bear, do you honestly think I'd let you be alone on your birthday?" 
    Anna looked down in shame. Yes, she had thought that. Nobody had cared about or remembered her birthday after she reached a certain age. It was just another day to the people who were supposed to love her the most. 
    Papa tilted her chin up until she was gazing into his eyes. "I'm not them," he explained as if reading her mind. He kissed her deeply and turned to walk back outside. "There's something else I need to grab from the car," he explained. "Go take the coffees and sit on the living room floor. I'll lock the door behind me just in case and use my key to let myself back in. When you hear the door open, put your coffee on the table and close your eyes. Understand?" 
    Anna frowned and shrugged. "OK, Papa..."
    She did exactly as she was told and listened to the door open and close. She took a sip of her coffee and felt a shiver run through her as the brew worked its magic as she sat down on the floor. She fidgeted in place and took a couple more drinks before she heard the door opening again. She closed her eyes tightly and covered them with her hands for good measure.
    "Kitten, are your eyes closed?" her Papa called from the hallway. 
    "Yes, Papa. I promise they are!" she answered back. She could feel him approaching and felt the draft of something being set down in front of her. She then felt him sit down on the floor next to her.         "OK, you can open your eyes now," he announced. Anna looked down and saw a big wrapped box in front of her. 
    "Papaaaa..." she groaned. "You already bought too much for me already." 
    "Silly Kitten," he replied and kissed her nose. "Open it!" 
    Anna grinned and ripped off the paper from the side and top of the box. She saw that the top was only covered by the wrapping paper. She stood up on her knees and looked down into the box. She pulled out several bunches tissue. She reached for a larger bunch and squeaked when it moved. She jumped when a small ball of fur hopped up from the box. She gasped in shock and looked up at the grin on her Papa's face. When she looked back down there was not one, but two tiny faces looking up at her. They were the two kittens she held at the mall the day before! The tabby and black cats that were the best of friends! Anna couldn't control the tears that escaped as she scooped the kittens up and cradled them to her chest. 
    "Happy birthday, my wonderful, sweet, little Kitten," Papa said softly as she wept. He got up and poured some water in a small bowl for them. They watched the two boy kittens hop over to the bowl as soon as Anna had set them down on the floor. 
    "Do you like them, Kitten?" he asked as he pulled her into his lap. They watched the two kittens explore their new space, jumping at every noise and scaring each other. It wasn't long before they were wrestling around and pouncing on each other.
    "Of course I do, Papa! I love them so much already, but I can't afford..."
    "Don't worry about it, Kitten. I already took care of the pet deposit."
    "Papa!" she scolded. 
    "Don't argue, Anna," he warned. "If I want to spoil my Kitten, I will." He stood up and helped her stand.     "Come on, I brought breakfast. Let's eat and when we're done we'll take these little boys to the pet shop and find some stuff for them."
    "How in the world did you pull this off?" Anna asked as the couple ate their breakfast. She grinned as she watched the black kitten creep slowly into the dining room from the kitchen. She and her Papa laughed as the tabby ran up from behind him and tackled him. They watched as the two cat-children ran and rolled around together all over the place. 
    "It started a couple weeks ago. I wanted to get you a little friend to keep you company and I know how much you love cats. I saw an ad somewhere about the adoption event at the mall. It was perfect as it was the day before your birthday. I was just going to get you whichever one you liked the most, but when I saw how close those two boys were, I knew it would be cruel to separate them. I didn't want them to be split up at all. When we sat down to eat, I made up the story about the restaurant bathroom being out of order. I went back to the kittens and filled out the papers and adopted them right then and there. I explained to the ladies running the event of my surprise for you and their foster mother agreed to keep them one more night and I arranged to pick them up this morning." Papa grinned his evil grin, pleased that he pulled off the surprise. He loved seeing his Kitten so happy. 
    "That was very sneaky of you, Papa," Anna grinned. "And I already love them so much."
    "Have you decided what you want to name them?" he asked as they cleaned up their breakfast mess.
    Anna paused and considered. She pointed to the tabby. "His name is Oliver." She then pointed to the back cat. "And his name is Sam. Ollie and Sammy. What do you think?"
    "I think Ollie and Sammy are perfect names for these little guys," Papa replied.

                    *                      *                      *

    "Papa, I really don't think I'll have room for all this stuff," Anna protested as her Papa added two matching pet beds to the growing pile in the cart. It already held a huge cat condo, a window ledge, three scratching posts, two litter boxes, a big tub of litter, a bag of kitten food, a big box of wet food, and several different kinds of toys. 
    "It's OK, Kitten," he replied vaguely. "We'll find room." 
    They spent the day making Anna's apartment cat-friendly and Papa made her favorite food for dinner: baked chicken Alfredo with angel hair pasta. They each had a small piece of cake and Anna blew out the candle Papa set on hers. They played with Ollie and Sammy and watched TV. It was a perfect day in Anna's world. She hadn't come out of little space all day. She felt special and for a few moments she felt like she deserved it. It was progress and her Papa was pleased that she even admitted it. 
    "Anna, there's something I want to ask you," Papa announced as he came back from starting the dishwasher. Papa looked nervous, a rare expression for him and Anna was on full alert.
    "Yes, Papa?" she replied. 
    "I spoke to the apartment manager this morning when I paid for the pet deposit."
    "Uh-huh." She nodded in understanding. 
    "Do you want to look at some three-bedroom apartments this week?" he asked
    Anna shook her head. "I can't afford a three-bedroom place," she explained. 
    "Kitten, do you want to look at the bigger apartments... with me?" he rephrased. 
    "Papa..." she trailed off as realization dawned on her.
    "Anna Kitten Bear, your lease is up next month. You'll be able to afford the rent of a three-bedroom if you share the costs with me."
    "Papa, are you...?" she choked out, shocked. 
    "Yes, Kitten. I'm asking if you want to find a bigger place together," he finished. He grabbed her hands and kissed them. 
    "Aren't you worried that you'll get tired of me?" she asked. 
    Papa looked up at her with horror. "Never! It kills me to leave you here. Not just because you're here alone but because I miss you. I want to come home from work every day to you. I want to wake up every single morning next to you. I want to take care of you every day, if you'll let me."
    Anna grinned and cuddled close to her Papa. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. Her eyelids drooped and she smiled when she felt her Papa lift her up and carry her to the bedroom. 
    "Whatcha thinking about, Kitten?" he asked as he returned a few moments later. He placed the two exhausted cats at the foot of the bed. They walked all over it for a few minutes before settling in the exact place they started, curling up against each other and falling asleep almost instantly. 
    Anna turned to her side to face him and grinned mischievously. "That this was the best birthday ever, Papa."
    "Uh-oh. What's with that smile, Kitten?" Papa teased. 
    "Nothing," she feigned innocence and batted her eyelashes. "Just wondering what you're planning on for Christmas."