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“We have to help him.”
“Nancy…”
“We’re all he has!”
Robin looked down at the newborn kitten in her hands. It looked too tiny, eyes not yet open, found near a farm all alone. “It doesn’t seem very healthy.”
“But he can get better.” Nancy stood up. “I can drive us to the vet in Gas City.”
“How do you know there’s a vet in Gas City? How many sick animals have you dragged into your car?”
“More than five, less than ten.” Nancy stated, leading Robin carefully down the trail.
“Uh, how are we gonna pay for the vet?” Robin asked.
“I’ll use the birthday money I got this morning.”
“Wh- it’s your birthday?!” Robin tried her best to catch up to Nancy, currently storming ahead to her car. “Why didn’t you tell me?! Happy birthday!”
“It didn’t come up.” Nancy replied.
“Why are you with me and not your family?”
Nancy scowled. “That’s a stupid question. Why wouldn’t I be with you?”
“Because you’re supposed to do, like, important stuff on birthdays. Special stuff.” Robin said. “And instead we’re walking the same trail we always walk when we’re bored out of our minds.”
“This is important and special. We’re saving lives.”
“A life.” Robin sighed. The kitten seemed unfazed by the bumpy ride to the car. “Just… maybe don’t get your hopes up, okay?”
“But then he’ll have nobody.”
“He’ll have us, just… cautiously.” Robin said.
A kitten dying on Nancy’s birthday felt all kinds of wrong. The vet was taking ages, leaving Nancy and Robin anxiously twiddling their thumbs in the waiting room. Robin wasn’t sure if taking a long time was a good thing.
“Did you know…” Nancy spoke up, for the first time in a while. “That I’m supposed to be a grade below you?”
“What? Have you been sixteen this entire time?”
“No, but I was premature. And if I wasn’t then I wouldn’t have made the cutoff for the class of ’86. I’d have a whole year left of high school. Thank god that guy crashed his car into my mom's off Fox and Main and sent her into labour.”
“I think being born early or late or on time determines how good you’ll be at timekeeping your whole life. I was born on my due date and I’m really good at showing up at the exact time I’m needed. It’s like a superpower.” Robin said.
“And I’m always early.” Nancy replied. “It’s on purpose. It’s a power move. It shows people I’m better than them.”
“It doesn’t. They just think you’re a nerd.” Robin scoffed. “So were you born in the car crash or something?”
“My mom said it was the scariest moment of her life, but I don’t think it was the scariest moment of mine.” Nancy said. “The doctors said I probably wouldn’t make it, but my mom said she knew I would because anyone who’s born in a car crash is seriously badass. She didn’t say it in quite those words.”
“Your mom’s not wrong. It’s so weird to think eighteen years ago to this day you were a tiny baby hanging out in a car wreck.”
“I don’t think I was hanging out, I was probably more like… suffocating.” Nancy checked her watch. “Eighteen years to the minute, almost. I mean, we don’t really know the exact time but it was after three pm.”
“Happy birthday, Nancy.”
“Thank you.” Nancy smiled, her cheeks pink and eyes sparkly. “What do you think you were doing eighteen years ago at this moment?”
“Sleeping, probably. Or eating, or crying. They were really big interests of mine back then.” Robin laughed. “And now here we are.”
“Here we are.”
“Adults.” Robin sighed. “There’s a newborn baby out there right now who’s gonna think about this day in eighteen years.”
Nancy nodded. “Yeah. The cat will.”