She had learned how to move without a sound soon after she learned to walk and the skill continued to serve her well. She silently made her way to the bathroom. She didn’t want him to notice her. She was getting older now, starting to develop ‘lady parts’. If she wasn't careful, he would notice then she would end up being dragged down those horrid stairs to where very bad things happened.
Chapter Two
Adele was just finishing packing up the few remaining possessions left of her mother's life and her own. She was determined to snap out of her downward spiral; if she didn’t soon she feared she never would. So tomorrow she was loading up her little Toyota Corolla and driving off to find her fresh start. She'd bought herself a ferry pass and by tomorrow night she would be across the ocean and in a new state. She didn't have much of a plan. All she had organized were four job interviews at various hospitals in Tasmania. She closed her eyes and hoped like hell she would manage to land one of the jobs. She didn't have a lot saved up so being able to find work quickly was her top priority. Glancing at her watch she saw it was getting late so she headed off to bed. She would need a good nights sleep before starting her adventure in the morning.
The second her head hit the pillow she was being drawn back into a magic world that had kept her sane over the last four years since her mother had fallen ill and left her.
She found herself back in their field. Tonight she really needed to see her chaton, needed him to reassure her she was doing the right thing by leaving. It was strange but it just felt right to share her secrets with him and seek his approval of her plans. Maybe it was because he was an animal and couldn't talk, couldn't reject her, that made her feel safe to tell him everything. She hadn't told him anything about these plans yet. She was saving it until now, the eve of her grand adventure.
She was so filled with nervous energy, she couldn't stand still and walked around looking for him. She stopped still when she found him and put her hand over her mouth as a giggle escaped; apparently, he was feeling playful today. He was on his back with his paws in the air, squirming back and forth, rubbing his back on the grass and sunning his tummy. He stopped squirming, tilted his head back so he could watch her upside-down with his ice blue eyes. She jogged over to him laughing.
"You want a tummy rub, my chaton?" She said as she knelt down and ran her hand over his tummy and up his chest. He rewarded her with a rather loud purr.
"Like that huh?"
She allowed herself to get lost in the sensation of his fur on her skin for a few moments before she dropped her bombshell:
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
The purring stopped suddenly as he quickly rolled over and sat up in front of her, head cocked to the side. She chuckled.
"You really can understand what I'm saying can't you?"
His reply was a little growl sound.
"Don't fret, I'm not trying to change the subject on you."
He made the noise again while giving her a hard stare. What was his problem? Oh crap surely he didn't think...
"Don't tell me you think I mean I'm leaving you?"
He gave her a slight nod of his massive head. She sat up on her knees to get up to his face level, took his head in her hands, threading her fingers through the thick fur around his jaw, she planted a firm kiss between his eyes.
"Never, my chaton, I'd never leave you or this place we have. I'm leaving my home, the one I shared with my Maman. The memories are too much for me. I need to start over and now I've finished with Uni I need to find a job. There are a few in Tasmania that would be perfect--"
He cut her off with a lick up her cheek and a loud purr.
"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not you approve of my decision then." She said on a chuckle as she wiped her cheek dry on her shoulder.
"That tongue of yours tickles something fierce you know that?"
He dipped his head and licked up her neck then nuzzled her.
"Cheeky." She stated, shaking her head as she rubbed his ears.
~ * ~
Jake sat back watching his team enjoy their New Years Eve. Twelve years ago the Government panicked, thinking the dreaded ‘Y2K bug’ would blow up all the country's computers or some such garbage. In their panic, they demanded all fire stations be manned for the entire night of NYE 1999. Totally stupid really, nothing came of it, aside from a few thousand computers crapping out because they couldn't cope with the year change. Certainly, nothing blew up, much to many a fireys' disappointment. However, what it did do was create a tradition. Every NYE the Rosebery fire station was party central for his team, their friends and family and he liked nothing better than to sit back and watch the festivities.