She put the kitten in his box, grabbed the rest of her things and walked across the hall to her own room.
She set the box on the bed. "You stay here while I take a shower."
She didn't really expect him to obey, so it was no surprise when he escaped the box, tumbled down from the mattress onto the floor, got back on his feet and followed her into the bathroom where he started digging around in his litter. He may have been blind, but he had no trouble getting around.
Figuring he would be safe in there with her, she shut the bathroom door, locking him in. She undressed, turned on the water and stepped into the shower, leaving the door open an inch, so she could hear him if he got into trouble again. Though she wasn't sure what kind of trouble he could get into. There was really nothing for him to climb. The room was all tile and porcelain, which he couldn't get his claws into.
She was lathering her hair when she saw the shower door move, and looked down to see the kitten poking his head in. "You don't want to come in here," she said, but that was exactly what he wanted. He took a tentative step inside, and when the outer edge of the spray hit his fur, he stopped, looking confused. She thought for sure that he would turn tail and run; instead, he walked right under the spray, rubbing against her ankle with his soaked white fur, crossed to the opposite side, then sat down and started to clean himself.
What the heck? A cat who liked water?
She picked him up and set him on the bath mat, but before she could get the door closed, he was back in the shower. After one more failed attempt she managed to get him out of the shower and the door closed.
She finished, toweled them both off-which he didn't seem to appreciate much-then blow-dried her hair and got dressed. By the time she was finished, the cat had pulled another vanishing act. It took another few minutes of searching and this time she found him playing inside a canvas bag on her closet floor.
She carried him down to the kitchen where Elizabeth was sitting having her morning coffee and reading the newspaper. "Oh, there's the little guy!" she said, and Julie set the still-damp ball of fur in her lap.
"What happened to him?" Elizabeth asked, frowning up at Julie. "He's all wet."
"He took a shower with me."
Elizabeth's brows rose in disbelief. "Cat's don't like water."
"Someone forgot to tell him that."
Looking perplexed, she said, "That's odd."
Julie shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with him being blind. Or maybe he's just weird."
"How was his first night home?"
Julie grappled for the right word. "It was...eventful."
She told Elizabeth about Luc's shirts, the curtain incident and finding him in her closet.
"He was probably bored," Elizabeth said. "Kittens need lots of stimulation."
"I'm going this morning to buy him some toys."
Looking excited, Elizabeth asked, "Would you like me to watch him for you while you're gone?"
"You don't mind?"
"Of course not. Take all the time you need."
"I do have several errands I'd like to run." He looked pretty harmless sitting there in Elizabeth's lap licking the water from his fur, but Julie knew what a little terror he could be. "But are you sure? He's a handful."
"I've had lots of cats. I'm sure I can handle it."
Julie hoped so. Shy of locking him in her room alone for the day, which seemed cruel, she really had no other choice. At least until he was bigger.
"Can we talk for a minute?" she asked Elizabeth, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
"Of course, honey. You can talk to me about anything, you know that."
She did, but this was different. "I need a favor. And it's a big one."
"As long as it doesn't involve me getting up and dancing," she joked. "Name it."
"Luc mentioned that you'll be at the hospital Monday for an iron infusion."
"That's right."
"Would you come to Amelia's son's room while you're there. Just for a few minutes."
She sighed. "Julie, I know you and she have become friends, and against my better judgment I've kept my opinions to myself, but-"
"I know you two didn't get along, and I know how Luc feels about her, but she really has changed. She knows she treated you badly and she'd only like the chance to apologize. She's been carrying around a lot of guilt-"
"Which was her own doing," Elizabeth said sharply.
"She doesn't deny that."
"Luc may be a grown man, but he'll always be my baby, and she hurt him deeply."
"She wants to make amends."
"Did she ask you to ask me?"
"No. But she's my friend and I want to help her. She asked Luc if she could visit you but he wouldn't allow it."
Up went Elizabeth's hackles, and in a cutting tone she said, "Who I do and don't see is not his choice."
Julie knew Elizabeth would feel that way, which is why she'd brought it up. If she was going to persuade Luc to talk to Amelia, she would need Elizabeth on her team. Was it a little underhanded and sneaky? Maybe so, but Julie believed deep in her heart that Luc needed to settle things with Amelia, and this was the only way she could see to make that happen.
"If I didn't know better, I might think that you were trying to push the two of them together," Elizabeth said.
"If they're meant to be together, nothing I do or don't do will change that."
"That's very convenient for you."
Julie blinked. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's the perfect excuse to keep him at arm's length."
"It's not that," Julie said, though Elizabeth's words hit a little too close to home. "Whether he falls in love with Amelia, or some other woman, I just want him to be happy."
"Have you considered the possibility that Luc might be in love with you?"
She considered and dismissed it. But not to protect herself as Elizabeth implied. Julie was a realist. She knew that sex did not always equal love. Not the forever kind.
"I really feel that he needs this to move forward," Julie told the older woman. "With me or anyone else."
Elizabeth sighed. "I suppose you're right."
"So...you'll talk to her?" Julie said.
"I'll think about it," Elizabeth said. "But no promises."
That was all Julie could ask. "Thank you."
"I wouldn't do this for just anybody."
"I know."
"Even though you and Luc are married in name only, I think of you as my daughter."
"And I consider you one of my closest friends."
Elizabeth smiled.
"Well, I should get going. I'd like to stop by the hospital and check on Amelia. Her son's surgery is Tuesday and she's getting nervous."
"You really do like her," Elizabeth said, looking perplexed. "And you trust her?"
"I do. She just wants to make amends."
The older woman nodded slowly and said, "I'll keep that in mind."
Fourteen
Having never had an animal before, there had never been a need to patronize a pet supply store. The sheer volume of available products was mind-boggling. Julie stood in the cat food aisle for a good forty-five minutes reading labels and looking up online reviews on her phone. The litter aisle was a nightmare as well, and the toy aisle even worse. There were a bazillion choices of every shape and size. How was she supposed to know what a blind kitten would like to play with? Even something as simple as picking out a collar took forever.
She made her selections to the best of her ability, nearly having a stroke when the cashier rang it all up and gave her the total. No wonder the shelter was always desperate for donations. Everything was so expensive.
With the kitten taken care of, Julie drove to the hospital. She had a few spare minutes, so when she got there, she made a quick detour to Tommy's room. Amelia sat in a chair next to her son's bed reading to him. She smiled brightly when she saw Julie, but the dark smudges under her eyes said it had probably been a long night.
She patted her son's arm. "Wake up baby, look who's come to visit."
With effort, Tommy opened his eyes, flashed her a sleepy smile and said, "Hi, Julie," so softly she had to strain to hear him.
"How are you feeling today," she asked him, but he had already fallen back to sleep.
"They had to up his pain meds again," Amelia said, concern darkening her features as she gazed down at her son. "Thank God the surgery is Tuesday. I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I'm actually a little homesick."
"Understandable considering the way people have been treating you."