We sat down at IHOP.
We didn't say anything until a waitress came over.
"Hi, my name is Naomi, what can I get you today?
I ordered three chocolate pancakes. I only ate two, and I packed up the third for Olly to give to her tomorrow.
It was 6:30pm. We had to stop by my old house to pick up William, and Greg's truck.
I opened the door to the house and stepped inside. Luckily, the police had sterilized all the secondhand smoke, and emptied the litter, so it didn't quite smell as much. Olly had left the cat carrier by the front door.
I picked it up and started calling William.
"William, come here buddy. Will—"
I stopped dead in my tracks.
I heard shuffling, and some small meows.
They sounded like...
I opened the door to the laundry room. I gasped.
Beside the washing machine, was a box with a pillow inside.
Inside, William laid inside the box, five small kittens wriggling around him.
I ran over and knelt to the box.
The all of the kittens didn't look like William, except one.
I ran my finger across the head of one kitten, earning a mew in response. I stood up and ran to the front door. I poked my head out. Greg was leaning against his truck talking to his parents.
"Guys?! Come and look at this!" I shouted.
Soon, we were all crowded around the box. Olly's father checked the heartbeat of every kitten.
"I'd say this looks like a run and go. The mother must have had her kittens, and ran away to get food, but she must've gotten hurt or killed in the process." He said.
Her mom put a hand over her heart. "Poor things. What should we do, Dean?" She said.
"We'll have to bring them home. Shay can care for them, until they're old enough to go to different homes. Along with Olly's help, when she comes home." He said.
I nodded.
"We get to name them, right?" Greg asked.
His parents nodded.
"YES!!!"
At home, we put a hot water bottle in the box and the kittens fell right to sleep. On the way home, we went to petsmart and bought food and water bowls for them.
I pet William's head. He purred in response.
Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.
"Greg, come here!"
"wHY?"
"Just get in here!"
I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
Greg leaned on the doorframe.
"What." He said.
"We gotta name 'em!" I said, pointing to the kittens.
He stared for a second.
"We should wait for Olly. Maybe we could bring a picture of them for her tomorrow."
I smiled. "Good idea."
He winked and walked away.
Greg is like my brother now. Well, he acts like a dad sometimes. Like Steve from Stranger Things.
