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Naomi. Miss Naomi didn’t like the
invader at all.”
    “ She didn’t?” The girl
sounded astounded.
    “ No, indeed. Miss Naomi
didn’t like sharing.”
    “ Oh. Her feelings were
hurt.”
    “ Exactly. So, since he’s so
big and he sort of took over without waiting to be asked, I started
calling him Monster.”
    “ Ezackly,” Becky repeated,
nodding with understanding.
    “ They got used to each other
after a while. Miss Naomi even started treating him like her own
kitten.”
    Callie realized Becky had left off
staring at Monster, and was now looking up at her. She smiled.
“What is it, Becky? Do you have a question?”
    Becky nodded. “Where’s Miss
Naomi?”
    Oh, dear. The question took Callie by
surprise. She could have kicked herself for not having thought
about it before telling Becky about Miss Naomi. She had hoped that
by bringing Monster with her, she would help Becky forget about
death, not remind her of it. Still, it wouldn’t do to
lie.
    “ Miss Naomi died last
winter, sweetheart. She was almost twenty years old. That’s pretty
old for a cat.”
    “ My mama was twenty-nine,”
Becky said gravely. “Is that old for a lady?”
    Again, Callie’s heart stumbled and
ached. “No, sweetheart. That’s not old at all. But your mama got
sick. It was a terrible shame.” And if that wasn’t an
understatement, Callie didn’t know what was.
    But Becky only nodded again, as if she
were filing this piece of information away to retrieve and study
later. “My papa said she was too young to die.”
    Lord in heaven. Fearing she’d cry if
they continued to talk about Becky’s mama, Callie said bracingly,
“It will probably take Monster a little while to get used to his
new surroundings, Becky, so I’m going to keep him in my room for a
few days. Cats don’t like change much.”
    Becky nodded solemnly, as if she
understood the cat’s qualms. “I don’t, neither.”
    Instantly, tears sprang to Callie’s
eyes. She suppressed them with ruthless severity. If she gave in to
every impulse of a soft nature that she experienced, she’d only
turn Becky into a cesspit of self-indulgence. There was a fine line
between harsh abandonment and morbid pampering, and she aimed to
find and adhere to it. She had to, if she wanted to help
Becky.
    Monster’s hair had flattened out,
although no amount of inner serenity on his part could conceal his
overall fluffiness, and he’d begun a tentative, nervous inspection
of his surroundings.
    Sitting on the desk chair, Callie
picked Becky up and plopped her onto her lap. She kept her arms
around her. “Let’s just watch him for a minute. If he backs up to
any piece of furniture and starts to vibrate, I’ll have to go grab
him before he causes any damage.”
    The notion that Monster might take it
into his idiotic cat’s brain to mark a piece of hand-carved,
imported, and undoubtedly wildly expensive Chinese teakwood
furniture gave Callie a spasm. She didn’t think he would, as he’d
never marked anything at her house. She’s spent many long hours
training him to use the sandbox when he’d first moved in with her,
as well, so she didn’t anticipate any accidents. The knowledge that
life was unpredictable at the best of times, however, and that cats
were some of the most unpredictable creatures in it, kept her
vigilant.
    “ Why would he do that?”
Becky whispered, keeping her voice low evidently out of respect for
the process they were observing.
    Callie decided not to spoil the moment
by explaining the odd and execrable behavior sometimes exhibited by
male cats. Instead, she said seriously, “Sometimes cats just do
things like that. It’s not a good habit for them to get in to, so
I’ll want to nip it in the bud.”
    Becky only nodded again, thank
goodness.
    After a few minutes, during which
Monster didn’t do anything untoward, Callie said, “I think it’s
safe now. Would you like to help me unpack my things? I’ve an item
or two you might be interested