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It was a Saturday morning, and Sam had convinced Charles to let her bring Bennett and Delyth to the pet shelter. She had wanted to support Delyth’s love for animals, and Charles had reluctantly agreed to let them go on the condition that he accompanied them in case Sam had an asthma attack from the various possible triggers in a pet shelter.
They were now in the lobby of the pet shelter, Sam holding Delyth’s hand to stop her from running off, with Bennett holding his sister’s other hand. Charles held Bennet’s left hand and was watching Sam worriedly for any signs of an attack. Charles was in business attire with his hair gelled, and Bennett had requested to wear his “professional” outfit as well. Sam had gone for a more casual look, and Delyth had done the same. Sam wore black leggings with a t-shirt and flats, her hair up to look more presentable yet not uncomfortable. Delyth wanted to dress like a vet, so she had worn shorts, a t-shirt, and a vet coat from one of her playsets.
“Where do you want to visit first, Dely?” Sam asked. Different sections were branching off from the lobby for cats, dogs, reptiles and fish, small mammals, and equines. Charles was surprised that there would be an area for horses, but the facility was in a more suburban area.
“Can we visit the cats, Mammy?” Delyth asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Sam smiled and replied with a yes, Bennett smiling as he watched his sister bounce up and down on her toes with glee. The twins let go of their parents’ hands and raced towards the double doors leading to the cat area, their parents following behind. Charles moved closer to take Sam’s hand and kissed her forehead, watching her lips form into a smile.
“It’s wonderful to see her come out of her shell when she’s near animals, isn’t it?” Charles asked, watching his wife’s expressions.
“Definitely, Charles. I think you just really like forcing people out of their comfort zones, but yes. Bennett even told me he’s worried about her making friends at school. He says she doesn’t talk to anyone but him and the teacher.”
Giving his wife’s hand a small squeeze, Charles replied, “Don’t worry, my dear. I’m sure she’ll be able to befriend some horse girl in the future. And I know I push people out of their comfort zones, but if I didn’t, we never would’ve gotten closer to each other.”
“True.” Sam leaned against Charles’ arm as they walked, watching Delyth shuttle Bennett around and introduce him to each of the cats they saw. Delyth looked up at her parents and ran over excitedly to them.
“Mammy! Daddy! Come look at the cute cats we found! They love Bennett and me, really! Can we take them home? Please?” She made pleading eyes at her parents, and Charles looked away to avoid being lured in by the same trait that Sam possessed.
Walking up next to Delyth, Bennett smartly replied, “The correct grammar is ‘Bennett and I’ and you should know that, Dely. And we should look around at the other animals first, shouldn’t we Daddy?” Bennett looked up at Charles expectantly, hoping to have emulated his father well.
Smiling a little, Charles replied, “I have to agree with Bennett on that. How about we look at some of the other animals first and if you still want a cat in the end, we’ll talk about it then. And I must say, Dely, that we should probably find a less— hairy creature so we can avoid making your Mammy sick, okay?” Delyth nodded her agreement and skipped away to look at the other animals.
“Charles, don’t you think you’ve upset her? I don’t think that there are any hypoallergenic cats out there, but I’m definitely not a cat expert, either.” Sam said as Bennett followed his sister.
“There is a breed I’ve heard of called the Sphinx cat, though I do agree that they’ll probably be hard to find in shelters. Maybe we can ask a volunteer about some cats that may be safer for you.” Charles led Sam to the next section and started looking at the rest of the animals.
~~
They had finished looking at all of the animals, and though Delyth had been particularly interested in the different horses and even a donkey, she was still begging Sam and Charles to get a cat. Charles had agreed to at least take a look at the cats that Delyth wanted and told her that he would ask about the cats’ breeds.
Walking into the designated cat section, Delyth ran up to two cats sitting by the window. One had blonde fur and was facing the window, and the other was a gray hairless cat with olive-green eyes that turned to look at them as they approached. It meowed and jumped down from the window ledge to rub itself on Delyth’s legs.
She turned around to face Charles and said, “Look, Daddy! He loves me!”
Charles and Sam had to admit that it was adorable to watch the cat rub against Delyth affectionately, and Bennett just wanted to see his sister happy.
“Dely, how do you know if it’s a boy?” Charles asked.
She giggled as if the question was silly. “Daddy, I saw on his introduction paper taped on the wall.” She pointed to a paper sheet taped to the viewing window. Charles walked to look at the papers and found the ones with the hairless cat and the blond cat’s information on them.
Name: Maze
Breed: Sphynx Cat (Hairless)
A Bit About Me: Maze is a cuddly boy who loves to sleep. He is very affectionate and good with children, as well as other animals. He must be adopted with his best friend, Charlotte. He is here because of an owner’s surrender.
Name: Charlotte
Breed: Turkish Angora
A Bit About Me: Charlotte is best friends with Maze, but she is a little more introverted. She loves a pretty view, so please give her a nice viewing area! She is a little shy and a picky eater, but will never hurt anyone. She must be adopted with Maze and is here because of an owner's surrender.
I wonder why they need to be adopted together, but I’ll ask a volunteer later.
“What did it say, Charles?” Sam asked, now holding Maze. Delyth was at the window with Bennett now, petting Charlotte. Charles could see now that Charlotte's eyes were the same icy blue as his eyes were, not to mention the same as his children’s.
“Well, it mostly said that they need to be adopted together and that Charlotte is a Turkish Angora.”
“So are we getting them, Daddy?” Delyth asked, skipping up to Charles and hugging him around the waist. “Please say yes, please!”
“Dely, dear, getting a pet is a big decision…” Sam piped in, looking at her daughter.
“I know, Mammy, I know they are. But I promise I’ll take care of them! I will, really! And— and Bennett will help me if I need help!” Delyth ran to hug her brother, startling him.
“Dely, I never promised that!” He scolded, then immediately apologized when he saw her lip tremble. “I’m sorry, Dely. I really am. I will help, I promise.”
Delyth’s mood changed in an instant, resuming her crazed excitement. “See, Daddy? Bennett and I can be responsible. I even used proper grammar!” She turned to look at Bennett, and he nodded proudly. “Please, Daddy?” She turned back to Charles and grabbed his blazer, attempting to climb him, but Charles picked her off and held her.
“Dely, if we are going to have this conversation, I need you to calm down. Can you do that?” She nodded, burying her face in his chest.
“S-sorry, Daddy. I p-promise I can be calm.” She peeked up at him, and Charles was reminded of Samara when she had done the same thing many years ago. Sam noticed and stood to help Charles regain his composure.
“Good, Dely. Now, I think that having Maze would be fine, but we need someone in our family to adopt Charlotte. I would like them to still be able to see each other, but I don’t think we can have a cat with fur because of my asthma. Do you have any ideas of who would want him, Charles?”
“I have one idea,” Charles said, smiling mischievously.
Oh dear, Sam thought. I sincerely hope this won’t cause any trouble.
~~
RINNGGG RINNGGGG RINNGGGGG!
They had called Samuel from Sam’s phone, as Charles had pointed out that Samuel wouldn’t pick up the phone if he knew the call was from Charles. They had appointed Delyth to do the talking because even though Samuel had many weak spots, his grandchildren were most likely his weakest spot yet.
“Hello, pumpkin?”
Delyth giggled. “No, grandpa, it’s me, Dely!”
“D-Dely? Do you miss me already? I j-just saw you yesterday!” Samuel’s voice audibly teared up on the other end of the line.
“U-um, not exactly, grandpa. It’s something even better. I need you to come to the pet shelter.”
“WHAT?! Did that Welsh towh-toaster hurt Bowser?”
“Grandpa! No! We need you to adopt a kitty for me!”
“I’m on my way, Dely! Don’t you worry! Grandpa’s coming!”
“Wait, grandpa that’s not what’s happening!”
BEEP!
“Well, at least he’s on his way?” Sam said, trying to lighten the mood.
“And he probably won’t wring my neck when he gets here,” Charles added, grimacing.
“Oh, don’t think like that. He loves you in his own way, I promise.” Sam said, hoping that she sounded convincing.
“If you say so.”
All they had to do was wait for his arrival.
~~
Meanwhile, Charles and Sam found a volunteer to ask about adopting Maze and Charlotte. Walking up to the adoption desk, Charles spoke to the front desk lady for assistance with adopting. She was an elderly lady, with silvery hair pulled into a neat bun. She wore black-framed Cateye glasses bedazzled with shiny lavender rhinestones, with a golden eyeglass strap around her neck. She looked up.
“Hey, hon. How can I help ya this very fine day?”
“I’m looking to adopt.” The lady typed the information into the computer.
“Alright hon, now what kind of animal are ya plannin’ on adoptin’ today?”
“Two cats, ma’am.”
“Aww, you’re plannin’ on adoptin’ two of em’ are ya? They’re all sweethearts, I promise. Which ones caught your eye?”
“The best friends, Maze and Charlotte.”
“Oh, those two are real sweethearts. It’s so sad they had to be given up. The owners moved away and had their son drop ‘em off here. I just feel so bad for ‘em, they’re so sweet and they’ve been here for months.”
“Ah, I see. I was wondering about that, actually. I also have an additional question about living arrangements?”
“Of course, hon! What do ya need?”
“Is it alright if we adopt the cats together, but they live in separate houses? They will see each other often, but my wife has asthma and we will only be able to care for one other pet because we already have a dog at home. My family can take Maze, but my father-in-law will be taking Charlotte.”
“Yes, that should be just fine, hon. The previous owner’s son just requested that they should be adopted together because he didn’t want ‘em to have to leave each other too. If they’re still able to visit each other, then that’ll be a wonderful arrangement for ‘em both! We just need ya to sign the papers here for Maze, and the other owner will sign the papers for Charlotte.”
It was just then that Samuel stormed through the front doors of the shelter, hair frazzled and eyes wild. Bennett and Delyth ran to greet him, but he shot a glare at Charles before turning to them and smiling.
“Uh— yes, that will be fine. Actually, my father-in-law has just arrived, so he should be able to sign after he has, um, calmed down.”
The lady laughed, and said, “Must be wonderful to have that man as your in-law, I’ve never in all my years workin’ here seen someone as crazy— er, passionate as him.”
“Charles smiled and nodded his head to agree with her. “Yes, he is quite the handful, but having my wife by my side is worth all the passionate in-laws in the world.”
The lady smiled, and said, “You seem like a passionate man yourself, but just much better at keeping in control. All ya paperwork is done now, so I’ll just have someone help ya get a list of the supplies you’ll need, and your father-in-law can come to me when he’s ready. Have a good day, hon.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Anytime, dear.”
Charles walked back to where Sam was, trying to stop Samuel from crushing Bennett and Delyth with his hugs. She looked up at him and smiled, motioning for him to come closer. When Charles reached her, Samuel stood and brushed himself off.
“Jones.” He said stoically. “My granddaughter says you want me to adopt a cat today, is that right?”
“Yes, Samuel. That would be correct.”
Delyth piped in, barely containing her excitement. “Yes, grandpa! Can we go see them now? There’s two of them, Charlotte and Maze! Mommy Says we’re gonna get Maze, and you’ll take Charlotte! And— and they’ll visit each other whenever we visit you!”
Samuel now turned his attention to Delyth, smiling. “Of course, Dely. Shall we go see them?” He had temporarily forgotten his anger for Charles, but for now, that was good enough.
~~
Samuel’s reaction when he first saw Charlotte was shocking, as he immediately saw the resemblance of his son-in-law in the features of the cat, as well as the name, a literal gender-bent version of Charles’ name. However, he pushed his personal conflict away when he saw how utterly in love Delyth was with both cats. He knew she would be heartbroken if she couldn’t have them, and he wanted to support her in her fields of passion in any way he could.
Turning to Charles, he said, “Where are the papers for the cat, Jones? I’m taking this cat right now to make my granddaughter happy.” Charles stepped aside so that Samuel could make his way to the door, for years of working with the man had taught him that when Samuel was mad at you and wanted something done, it was not a wise choice to stand in his way.
~~
Delyth had been so exhausted from her day of excitement that before Samuel had even finished signing the adoption papers, she was fast asleep in her father’s arms, Bennett staying close to her and holding Charles’ hand. Samuel had almost cried at the sight of his sleeping granddaughter (he ignored Charles) and Sam had needed to pull him away so that they could actually claim the cats and get all the supplies from the small store selling supplies in the lobby. Sam had reluctantly allowed Samuel to buy all the items for the two cats, mostly because he was on a verge of breaking down in the middle of the store when she had told him that they didn’t need his financial support.
When they had returned to where Charles was waiting, he had sat down in a gray, plastic corporate chair and was holding a groggy Delyth in his lap. Bennett was sitting next to his father, back straight. Bennett and Charles were having a conversation about how people had originally invented music, and how it had developed to be as complicated as it was in the modern world.
Delyth’s eyes widened when she saw the two carriers her mom was holding, as well as the bags stuffed with pet supplies that a blotchy-faced Samuel was holding. Gifted with her father’s natural talent of observation, she rushed to her grandfather. “Grandpa? A-Are you okay?” He smiled, nodding.
“Yes, Dely. I’m okay now.” Delyth had also inherited her mother’s anxiety, so her brows tented, lips forming into a small pout with worry for her grandfather.
“Anyways, we got Maze and Charlotte,” Sam added helpfully, hoping to distract her daughter from learning about Samuel’s small tantrum in the store. Thankfully, her tactic worked, and Delyth turned her attention to the carriers her mother held. She cooed at the cats through the thin wire of the carrier doors, brushing her fingers along their fur.
Her father and brother were now standing behind her, everyone watching the young girl talk to the cats. After a few minutes, she realized that they were all watching her, and grew a bit shy.
“O-oh. You guys could have told me that it was time to go!” She said, a bit flustered.
“No worries, Dely. Everyone was just glad that you were happy, and so in your element.” Bennett said, hoping to soothe his little sister’s self-consciousness. The twins started walking ahead, talking to each other, while their parents and grandfather fell behind.
~~
They were back at their house, after receiving very long, tearful farewells from Samuel. (Charles had received a very stern glare and a firm pat on the back.) Sam and Charles were finding places to put all the new cat items and setting their home up so that Maze would be as comfortable as possible. Meanwhile, the children focused on introducing Maze to his new environment.
Delyth looked to her brother, who was awaiting her thoughts of what they should do. “Bennett, could you get Bowser here? I want him to welcome Maze first.” Bennett agreed and set off to find Bowser. Delyth opened the door to Maze’s carrier and the cat slinked out hesitantly. Maze looked at his new surroundings for a bit, then walked towards Delyth, knowing that she would provide comfort to him. She took the cat in her arms, cooing to him softly and cradling him as if he were a baby.
This was when Bennett walked back into the room with Bowser. “I got Bowser, Dely.”
She looked up and smiled, “Put him right in front of me. I want him to be able to see Maze but not scare him.” Bennett did as she said, and Bowser looked at the new creature as if it were an alien.
Bowser tentatively sniffed the hairless, wrinkly thing, and decided that it was to his liking. He licked the creature and smiled to show that he was friendly. Suddenly, the thing meowed, startling Bowser. He ran back and hid behind Bennett, who was sitting criss-cross on the floor opposite of Delyth.
Delyth giggled at Bowser’s behavior, watching the dog peek back around Bennett’s back at Maze. She lifted Maze out of her lap now, certain that Bowser wouldn’t hurt the cat. The cat meowed pleasantly again, walking towards Bowser and stopping a comfortable distance away from the dog.
Bowser realized that the cat was friendly, and walked up to meet the patiently waiting cat, who was watching him. Bowser lied down near the cat to watch it, and slowly began to fall asleep. Maze scooted closer to the pup and nestled himself next to Bowser, joining his new friend to nap.
“Aww, that’s adorable,” Delyth whispered, both her and Bennett quietly watching the sleeping pets. Charles and Sam had finished putting away all the new pet items and were walking into the room to see how they were doing when Charles stopped and pointed to the children quietly, telling Sam not to disturb the peace.
The couple watched from the doorway as their children focused on Bowser and Maze sleeping contentedly together.