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"C'mon," Jade said to her brothers. "I've got something to show you." She grinned broadly as she led them to the door to Mr. Erik's garden.
"I don't think we're supposed to go in there," Jimmy said, a worried frown on his face.
"Mr. Erik said it's okay as long as we don't hurt his plants."
"You sure? He seems so scary and angry."
"He's not." Scott spoke in unison with Jade.
"He made my cat," Scott said.
"He's angry because he's sad," Jade added. "He lost his family, and he's still hurting." That kind of loss was something all three of them understood.
"If you say so." Jimmy was still a bit dubious.
"I've felt it," Jade insisted. She wasn't a true telepath like Mr. Charles, but she could feel strong emotions. "He's not a bad man."
Jimmy nodded slowly. "Okay. So what's the big secret."
Jade dragged the door open and beckoned her brothers inside. "Mr. Erik told me not to say anything until now," she said as she headed toward the garden shed. Jimmy was right behind her, Scott clinging to his arm.
She opened the door and stepped inside, giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light.
Jimmy's eyes must have adjusted quicker, because he cried out, "Kittens!" and stepped around her, pulling Scott with him.
Jimmy dropped to his knees and tugged Scott down beside him as Jade scrambled to join them. "They're only three weeks old. We have to be careful with them," she cautioned.
"Okay," Jimmy and Scott both said. Jimmy guided Scott's hand to the box, then sat back while Scott explored the box.
He found mama first, stroked a hand down her side. She cracked an eye open, a little wary but not alarmed, then settled back down as he stroked along her spine.
"How many are there," he asked as his other hand located a kitten, the big grey one.
"Five," Jade said.
Scott's hands danced around the box, touching all five in turn. "Cool. Is it okay to pick one up?"
"Yeah. We just have to be careful."
Scott grinned as he scooped up the big grey and held its wriggling body against his chest. "Do they have names?"
"Not yet. Whoever keeps them should name them."
"I want this one," Scott declared. "What does it look like?"
"Mr. Erik says it's a boy. It's grey with stripes, and it's twice the size of all the others."
Scott thought hard, face screwing up in concentration, hands juggling the wiggly kitten. "Gordo," he finally declared. "It means chubby. Darwin's been teaching me Spanish."
"Gordo," Jade repeated, reaching out to stroke the kitten in question. "I like it."
One kitten named; four to go.