"Drew!" Lucy cried, dropping her father's hand and rushing toward her with Maggie at her heels. "You were so good!"
"Thanks, sweetie," Drew said with a tiny grunt as the girls barreled into her. "I'm so glad you guys could make it!"
"It was so good," Maggie said in her tiny voice. "I can't wait to start dancing with you at your dance school."
Drew cocked her head curiously. "Well, that won't be for a little bit yet, honey. But one day, yes."
"But Daddy said –"
"Okay, then!" Connor exclaimed jovially, reaching out and grabbing Maggie affectionately by her ponytail and tugging her back toward him gently. "We should get goin', huh? Who's hungry? Who wants pizza?"
The girls cheered, forgetting about Drew for the moment, and Connor, Lana and John steered them toward the door.
"We'll meet you at the café!" Lana called over her shoulder with a wave. "See you in a little bit!"
"What was she talking about?" Drew asked Heath as he took her by the hand and led her toward the entrance behind her family.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Lana was referencing the pizza party at your parents' café, that you father just mentioned three seconds ago," he replied patiently. "You feelin' okay?"
Drew glared at him wryly and smacked him on the shoulder. "I meant your niece. About dancing at my 'dance school'."
Heath shrugged and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in tight. "You know how kids are. She probably just got carried away from the excitement of finally seeing you dance. You were damn good."
Drew glowed under his praise. "Thanks," she said quietly. "It really means a lot to me that you came." She gestured to the bouquet in her arms. "And got me these. They're gorgeous! All my favorite flowers."
"I do what I can," Heath replied, giving her a mock cocky smile.
"Come on, you slow asses," Nik called over her shoulder. "We're hungry!"
"We'll meet you there," Drew replied. "I want to go home and feed Rocky first, though."
"Well, hurry up!" Toni added. "Don't keep us waiting too long."
"Who said I'm takin' you anywhere?" Heath asked teasingly. "Don't be 'we' and actin' like I'm your chauffeur."
Drew smiled. "Aren't you?" she exclaimed. "C'mon, hurry up. I'm starving!"
They made it back to Bloomfield in record time, caravanning behind Drew's parents and her sisters and their families. Heath drove a few blocks past the café to Drew's apartment and walked with her upstairs.
She stopped short at the site of her door slightly ajar.
"Heath," she breathed.
"I see," he said, and she glanced over at him, seeing his jaw slightly clenched. "Get behind me."
Drew obeyed hesitantly, watching as he pushed her door open noiselessly. She followed him inside her apartment as he made a quick circuit of the living room and the kitchen. When he stepped out of the kitchen, he caught her eye and pointed at the couch. The look in his eyes made her stomach clench with fear.
"Sit there," he said, his voice gentle and low, but offering no room for discussion. She immediately dropped onto the couch and watched as he crept deftly toward the back of her apartment, where her bedroom and bathroom were. After a few long moments, he returned to the living room.
"No one's in there," he said. "But Drew…I didn't see Rocky anywhere."
Drew shot to her feet. "Oh, my God. He probably got out—if the door was open he probably just ran out. He does that all the time if I don't watch him." As she rapidly talked she moved back to the door. "We have to find him –"
"Hang on," he interrupted, grabbing her arm. "Not to downplay your cat missing, but Drew—we just came home to your fuckin' door hanging open. This is a secure building, so that means somehow somebody got in here, and broke into your apartment. Let's focus on that." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'm callin' the cops."
"And I'm going to look for my cat," Drew replied firmly. She fixed him with a stare that let him know she wasn't kidding around. Finally, he nodded and sighed.
"I'll wait for them," he said. He glanced at the door frame and saw that the wood was splintered around the lock and ran his hand over it. "Go look for Rocky but don't take too long, all right? Ten minutes tops."
Drew nodded and without another look at him she turned on her heel and flew downstairs. She burst through the door, her heart pounding. Rocky meant everything to her; she'd adopted him from a shelter shortly after he'd been born and had raised him from a kitten. She'd never owned a pet before him, but had an extremely soft spot for animals, so she had become quite attached to him in a short amount of time, and he seemingly to her. She had done a lot of research on cats after adopting him, wanting to be as in tune with him as possible to understand how he communicated with her and what he needed. She knew that cats were extremely independent creatures and domesticated cats tended to view their humans as just that—"their" humans. She took it as a personal compliment when Rocky would come to her when she called, run to greet her at the door when she came home, and generally insist on cuddling with and being close to her at all available times. She would joke that Rocky was the man in her life, but she felt almost as though he were her own child.