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The house across the street had been empty for the entire last year that Catra and her roommates had moved into the neighborhood. It had stood there neglected while Catra had ranted about the lack of affordable housing in the city and the waste of letting a perfectly good home just sit there.
She had to fight tooth and nail to get herself, ‘Trapta and Scorpia out of the pit of an apartment near the water treatment plant and the nearby landfill. It took all three of their salaries to make the move even possible. But moving had been essential. It gave Entrapta the opportunity to improve her health…the coughing had drastically been reduced since they moved. It allowed Scorpia to find better-paying work, a place that treated her like an intelligent being, not just the muscle in some warehouse for 65 hours a week.
And it let Catra get as far away from her old life as possible. Giving her a chance to start over and shake the dreariness of the place she hated out of her fur.
She loved their little rowhome and their neighborhood with tree-lined streets, safe transit, and even kids who felt safe enough to play in their front yards. It was perfect.
And this time of year, it was magical. Sure…the neighbors were a bit bougie and mainly stuck to white lights and green wreaths lit with spotlights. Candles in the windows, perhaps, or the rogue wild family that put a decorative wooden nutcracker beside the door.
Their place stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a symphony of blinking rainbow lights, peppermint ribbons, and two large inflatable Christmas characters that waved their arms like a used car might be available…stop on by! And sure…Entrapta might have a private radio station playing Christmas hits that was timed with a light show…that slowed traffic and drove some people nuts.
And sure…Catra had to pretend to hate it. It was important not to be too enthusiastic about it…or Entrapta might be encouraged to do more. Scorpia was already trying to put together a group of carolers. CAROLERS….
But today, after her 8-hour shift, she came home with the groceries she stopped and picked up (with every intention of making dinner and then baking holiday cookies that she would not let anyone know she baked when she took them into work the next day), she noticed that the door across the street was no longer a faded black with peeling paint.
It was red. Dark red, to be specific. And the once dingy trim was bright white. The dead plants in the window boxes were gone. The windows, with their shredded curtains, were now shining and full of light. New fancy curtains pulled to the sides.
WTF?
Neither Scorp or ‘Trapta had any idea who had moved in. Entrapta had the idea of hacking the MLS and investigating if the house had recently sold, despite no one noticing for sale signs…but Catra nixed that plan. Scorpia suggested, while stuffing a still hot gingerbread man into her mouth, that they take the new neighbor some cookies and introduce themselves.
Well, that wasn’t happening. Who knew who these weirdos might be? They could be homophobes or Christian Scientists or whatever. They could be mass murderers or cat hoarders. One never knew.
So yeah, the cookies were already spoken for anyway.
***
The next day Catra was heading out to work when she spotted the most incredible blonde woman she had ever seen bringing boxes into the house across the street.
She was built like a tank…well maybe not as large as Scorpia exactly, but she clearly worked out. Her biceps bulged as she hauled the stack of 3 boxes into the house. Catra spotted the word “Books” in black sharpie on the side.
Damn.
Maybe giving a new neighbor cookies was just the nice thing to do.
***
Two days later and 3 failed attempts to get someone to answer the door for a cookie delivery and Catra was no closer to meeting her new crush. Which really, she should not be half daydreaming about. But…who wears a tank top in December?
She was probably straight.
Or had a wife who would be moving in soon and was a supermodel or crazy rich or…something.
***
It had been nearly a week since she had seen the bombshell when there was finally a sighting as Catra got home. There she was, putting twinkling rainbow lights up around the doorway! RAINBOW lights!
Catra ducked inside and grabbed the tin with the fresh batch of cookies she had baked last night out of the kitchen. (Not for this woman, no, they were clearly for the caroling group that Scorpia could not stop talking about. Catra was pretty sure Scorpia was falling for some woman named after a flower? Or perfume? Hmmm, yeah, she needed to pay better attention.). Anyway, Catra lied to herself…the cookies were for them. But since she had seen the new neighbor out on the street anyway, might as well share, right?
She was still probably straight.
The blonde was hanging a wreath on the door. A wreath with rainbow ornaments. And rainbow lights. And a bit of soft satin ribbon with the colors of a lesbian flag…which wasn’t all that Christmasy, really. And wasn’t she wearing flannel? And big utilitarian boots? That was all pretty darn gay. Catra’s eyes flashed to her hand…no ring.
Catra stood staring, tail curing behind her. She wasn’t sure what exactly it was about this woman, but she wanted to get to know her better.
Right. Now.
The woman turned as Catra finally got the nerve to give a quiet cough and hold out a hand to pass over the tin of cookies.
“I’m pretty glad to see someone move into the place. Welcome to the neighborhood. I’m Catra.” She greeted with only a slight tremor to expose her nerves.
The blonde beamed and took the tin. Her smile was like sunshine, and her gray-blue eyes sparkled as she stepped forward with a bounce.
“Hi, I’m Adora.”
“Hey Adora.”
