Duchess (2 page)

“It’s true,” Michael said to Mom. “I told her to wait until we knew more.” Michael grabbed an apple and brushed by Mia on his way out of the long, narrow kitchen. “I think fostering an adult cat sounds like fun,” he called over his shoulder.

Mia wished he hadn’t left them alone. She could use her brother’s help right now.

Mom sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m not upset with you,” she said. “It was just a big surprise. Logan’s mom said her neighbor really needs someone to take the cat before she moves.” She frowned. “I called Dad at work to talk about it already, but I hate to rush things. Fostering a cat is a big decision.”

Mia nodded. “I know,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to make sure Logan was being serious.”

“I think he was,” Mom said with a laugh. She reached out and squeezed Mia’s hand. “It’s okay, Mia. Logan’s mom is going to tell Duchess’s owner, Abby, to email us,” Mom told her. “Until we hear from her, how about if you start your homework?”

Mia realized that there was no point in begging Mom to foster Duchess until they knew more about her. She didn’t really have any homework that day—she’d finished her math problems during class—but she had an idea about something else she could study. She grabbed the family laptop and joined Michael at the dining room table.

“What are you doing?” Michael asked as she opened the computer.

“I’m going to read about Persian cats,” she said. “I want to be prepared.” Mom and Dad expected Mia and Michael to help as much as possible with their foster cats. Mia loved petting them and
playing with them and making sure they had enough to eat and drink. She was even happy to help clean out the litter box! She wanted to prove that she and Michael were ready for a cat of their own.

There was plenty of information online about Persian cats. It didn’t take Mia long to learn that they were the most popular breed in the United States. She read that Persians were the perfect “lap cat,” since they were loyal pets who enjoyed attention. She also read that because of their long coats, Persians needed more brushing than most cats. That wasn’t a big deal. Mia would take turns with Michael, and if he didn’t want to brush Duchess, she’d do it all by herself.

“Have you seen the laptop?” Mom walked into the room. “Oh, you have it,” she said to Mia. “Are you done with your homework?”

Mia nodded. “I was reading about Persian cats,” she said. She smiled up at Mom. “Just in case.”

“That’s a good idea,” Mom said. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Mia scooted the laptop so it was in front of Mom’s usual chair. Maybe Duchess’s owner had already sent Mom an email! Mom sat down and began to type.

Mia pulled a library book out of her bag, but she couldn’t concentrate on the story. She kept thinking about Duchess. She glanced at Mom. Had she checked her email yet?

“Well, here it is,” Mom said.

“What? The message from Duchess’s owner?” Mia hopped up and went over to Mom. She leaned over her shoulder until her face was right alongside Mom’s.

“Mia, please give me some space,” Mom said.

Mia straightened up. “What does it say?” she asked.

“Let’s see. Abby says that Duchess is a four-year-old Persian, and she’s great with kids. Here’s a picture.” Mom clicked twice, and a color photo popped up on the screen.

Mia gasped. “She’s beautiful!” Duchess was just as pretty as Mia had imagined she would be. Her long white hair, her round, flat face, her fluffy tail … She looked just like the Persians Mia had seen online.

“She is lovely,” Mom admitted. “Look at those gorgeous blue eyes.”

Michael glanced over at the laptop screen and made a face. “Is she wearing jewelry?”

“It’s her collar,” Mia said. A sparkly heart pendant hung from Duchess’s neck. “It’s pretty.”

“If you say so.” Michael shrugged.

Mom went back to reading the message. “They’re moving out of the country, to Iceland, where Abby’s husband grew up. Duchess would have to be quarantined, and they don’t want to put her through that.”

“What’s ‘quarantined’?” Mia asked.

“Some countries require pets to stay in a kennel for weeks and weeks, to make sure they don’t have any diseases,” Mom explained. “Abby says
Duchess has never spent a night away from home in her whole life. It sounds as if they really need to find Duchess a home right away—like today!”

“Oh,” said Mia. She could understand why Abby thought it would be better for Duchess to find another home.

Mom looked at Mia. “I suppose it would be a good experience for you and Michael to foster an adult cat.”

Mia knew what that meant. Mom had decided, even without talking to Dad again. They were taking Duchess. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She jumped up and danced around. “When can we get her?”

“Abby says here that we can pick her up anytime—the sooner, the better,” Mom said as she closed the laptop and pushed back her chair. “Who wants to come?”

Mia held Mom’s hand and skipped to their car, which was parked on the next block. They were going to get Duchess! Michael didn’t seem as excited about the fluffy white cat, and he had lots of homework to do. Nonna Kate, their upstairs neighbor, had come downstairs to stay with him.

Mia loved to spend time with Nonna Kate, but she wasn’t about to miss out on picking up Duchess—not for the whole world.

“I’ll bet she’s super sweet,” Mia said as she fastened her seat belt in the backseat. “I can’t wait to pet her. She looks so soft.”

“I know you’re excited, sweetheart.” Mom looked at her in the rearview mirror. “Just remember to take it easy.”

Mia nodded. She knew that some cats needed time to warm up to new people.

Mia watched out the window as they drove. It wasn’t long before Mom parked on a tree-lined street. “This is it,” Mom said. She pointed to a brick town house with window boxes full of colorful flowers.

Mia looked around. She wondered where Logan lived. She was still mad that he hadn’t called her. He had almost ruined everything.

They climbed the stairs, and Mom rang the bell. As they waited at the front door, Mia peeked in the window. She saw stacks of cardboard boxes, rolled-up rugs, and piles of books waiting to be packed. But she did not see a fluffy white cat. Finally, a woman with short red hair and blue-framed glasses came to the door. “You must be Julia and Mia,” she said. “I’m Abby. Come on in.”

“It looks like you’re moving soon,” Mom said.

“In two days,” Abby said with a sigh. “If I ever finish packing, that is! I’m not making
much progress with these guys getting into everything.”

Mia looked down and saw two toddlers crawling between the boxes. They looked exactly alike, both with the same red hair as their mother. “They’re twins!” she said.

“They sure are,” Abby said with a smile. “Lola and Jake. They can crawl faster than I can run.” Mia watched Lola climb over Jake to pull herself up on a box full of books. “Not now, peanut.” Abby knelt down and swooped a child onto each hip. “Sorry,” she said. “You didn’t come here to meet my kids. You came to meet my lady. I think she’s in the bedroom, on her chair.”

Mia held her breath as she followed Abby and Mom through the kitchen toward the back of the apartment. “There you are!” Abby sang. “Hello, Duchess. You have visitors, little lady.”

There on a blue and white chair sat the prettiest cat Mia had ever seen. Her long white hair shone, her blue eyes sparkled, and her fluffy tail
moved slowly from side to side. She looked like a queen, sitting regally on her throne. She glanced up at Abby and blinked.

That’s me! I’m the only one she talks to that way. I’m her sweet little lady.

Mia sighed. The cat was even more beautiful in real life than she had been in her photo. Mia wanted to rush up and pet her. No, she wanted to pick her up and bury her face in all that silky fur. But she knew she had to be patient. She didn’t want to frighten Duchess.

Abby put Lola and Jake down, and the twins toddled back toward the kitchen. Abby knelt next to Duchess. She stroked the thick white fur around the cat’s face. “Oh, Duchess. I’m going to miss you, lady.” Mia could hear a deep, rumbly purr from across the room. Duchess closed her eyes and rubbed her face along Abby’s hands.

She knows where to pet me. I showed her how when I was just a kitten. She learned well.

Abby gazed lovingly at Duchess. Mia wondered if she was going to change her mind.

Then a loud clatter erupted from the kitchen. Abby shot up and ran toward the sound. “Oh, no! I think they’ve gotten into the fridge!”

Mia looked down at Duchess and noticed that the cat’s ears were laid back instead of pointed up. That usually meant that a cat was upset or frightened. Duchess stood up on her chair and looked toward the kitchen. “It’s okay, Duchess,” Mia said. “It’s just Lola and Jake, getting into something. Abby will take care of it.”

Duchess licked her lips and then settled down on her chair.

“Can I pet her now?” Mia asked Mom.

“I think that would be fine,” Mom said.

Duchess’s long white fur was even softer than Mia had expected, but the cat did not seem as
relaxed as she had been when Abby was petting her. Mia noticed the way a furry ear flicked back each time she ran her hand along Duchess’s back.

“Oh, good,” Abby said as she came back to the room. “I’m glad you’re getting acquainted. Duchess is great with kids. And Sally Barrow said you’ve fostered cats before,” said Abby, looking at Mom.

“Yes, we think it’s a good way for the kids to learn about the responsibility of having a pet before we get one of our own,” Mom explained.

“Well, maybe Duchess will be the one you keep,” Abby said. Mia felt a flutter of hope. Fostering cats was great, but she really wanted one of her own someday.

“Maybe,” Mom said. “But one way or another, we’ll find the best home for her. You can count on that.”

“That’s wonderful,” Abby said. There was another loud noise from the kitchen. She sighed
and looked over her shoulder. “What are they up to now?” She rushed out again.

“Maybe?” Mia looked at Mom. “Did you say ‘maybe,’ as in maybe we’ll keep Duchess forever?”

Mom rolled her eyes. “Don’t push it, Mia. We’re fostering her, and that’s plenty for now. Let’s get her home. It’s almost dinnertime.”

“Maybe you’re the one,” Mia whispered excitedly to Duchess. She tried to pet her under the chin the way Abby had, but the cat jumped down from the chair and walked away.

“She knows something is up,” Mom said.

Mia nodded. She had read about how pets often seemed to sense when their owners were going on a trip or when visitors were coming to the house.

Abby appeared again. This time, she was holding a cat carrier. “I didn’t realize how late it has gotten,” she said. “Jake and Lola need to eat, so I guess I’m going to have to send you an email with all the instructions for taking care of Duchess. It’s not too complicated, but there are some things
to remember. For example, you have to take special care of that beautiful coat of hers. She likes to look her best. Don’t you, my lady?” Abby laughed as she gently coaxed Duchess into the carrier. Then she held a treat up to one of the circular airholes. A pink nose poked out, and the treat was gone.

“And here are her toys, her blanket, and some other things.” Abby handed a bag to Mia.

She gave the carrier to Mom. “Julia, thanks so, so much,” Abby said. “It’s hard to say good-bye, but it’s easier now that I know she’ll be in good hands.” Mia noticed that Abby was talking more quickly now. “Please keep in touch and let me know how she is.”

Jake and Lola crawled out from behind a desk. “There you two are!” Abby said as she swooped down to lift them up. “Now, it’s time to say goodbye to Duchess, guys,” she said. Her voice cracked.

She led Mia and Mom to the front door. “So long, Duchess,” Abby whispered. “Say bye-bye,”
she told Lola and Jake. She gazed at the carrier as she squeezed her twins tightly, and Mia could see that she had tears in her eyes.

Mia felt a lump in her own throat. “Bye-bye,” she said, waving at the twins.

Mia saw Duchess’s round face looking out the back of the carrier as they walked down the stairs. The pretty Persian let out one long, low meow, and Mia felt the lump in her throat grow bigger. Poor kitty! “Don’t worry,” she said, touching the top of the carrier. “We’ll take good care of you, Duchess.”

“She’s a lot heavier than Callie was,” Mom said as she lugged the carrier up the stairs of their brownstone building.

“She’s a full-grown cat,” Mia said. “Aren’t you, Duchess?” Mia could see the cat’s pretty face through the grate at one end of the big plastic carrier. Her velvety ears were pinned back. “We’re almost there,” Mia reassured her.

Mom handed Mia the keys so she could unlock the front door. “We’re back!” she called down the hall.

Nonna Kate popped her head out of the apartment door. “We’ve been waiting,” she said.

“Nonna Kate’s been waiting,” Michael said when Mom and Mia walked inside. “I was doing math.”

“Good for you,” Mom said.

“Oh, just look at her!” exclaimed Nonna Kate. She bent down to get a closer look. “She is a duchess, isn’t she? Absolute royalty.” When Nonna Kate held out her hand, Duchess gave it a long sniff.

Very good. This person knows royalty when she sees it. And I like her kind voice.

Mom placed the carrier on the floor in the middle of the family room.

“Can I let her out?” Mia asked. “It’s cramped in there. The grate is like a cage.”

“It’s no place for a duchess,” Nonna Kate agreed.

“You may release the prisoner,” Mom said with a laugh.

Mia loosened the latch, swung open the door, and waited. “Come here, Duchess. Here, kitty,” she cooed. But Duchess didn’t budge. Her ears were still back as she twitched her tail against the carrier wall.

Where am I? Where is my person? I don’t want to be here. It doesn’t smell like home. It isn’t my home.

“Why isn’t she coming out?”

Michael knelt down next to Mia and looked into the carrier. “She doesn’t look very happy to be here.”

“Well, she hasn’t given us a chance,” Mia said, frowning. “She doesn’t even know where she is.”