Chapter 25

It had been an amazing first week for the two of you in your new apartment. And it was set to be an amazing first weekend as well. Because Blake had lost a bet to you, and now you were at the animal shelter looking for a kitten. Literally perfect.

"We never should've come here." You can hear the distress in her voice and it concerns you.

"What do you mean? You lost the bet fair and square. And all week long you were talking incessantly about coming here to get a kitten with me."

"Yeah but I want them all. Every single one." Blake's face is smooshed against the glass, looking at all the little cats like a kid in a candy store.

She turns to you abruptly, with a dead serious look on her face.

"We have to take them all, they need homes. We can't just leave them here."

"It doesn't work like that." Her ears fall in sadness. "Oh…" You reach out and pull her into a hug. When you pull back, you rest your forehead against hers.

"Are you sure we can't take them all?"

"Blake, there's literally 34 cats in here." She's trying to kill you with those puppy dog eyes.

"So we can adopt one, and then you can put the 33 other ones in that huge bag you carry around unnecessarily. Please?" You laugh and kiss the end of her nose.

"Let's start with one and see how we fare and then we can discuss expanding."

"Fine."

It's the first time you've really ever seen her stomp her foot with childish obstinance. And it makes you laugh.

The two of you continue walking through the large open room full of cubicles where they house the tiny kittens. After walking through a few rows, one of them catches your eye.

"What about this one?"

You reach down and scoop up the little guy with black and white fur. He's mostly white, but the tips of his paws and ears are black. And there is a small patch of black fur on his chest.

"He does look kinda like us."

"What do you mean he looks like us? He's a cat."

"Well, he's got little black ears like me. And what looks like a little black heart, like you."

"Your sense of humor knows no limits. You're a true comedian." Rolling your eyes as the kitten rubs his face against yours. You're smitten already.

"He's the one." She gives a curt nod.

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Takes after me. We already have a lot in common."

"I've already told you a thousand times Blake, you aren't a cat."

"Totally not what I'm talking about. But thanks for making the assumption I'm talking about my ears." She reaches her hands out, palms up so that you can hand her the kitten.

"Then please, enlighten me. What is it that you and this little magical ball of fur have in common?"

"I mean, I can't really speak for him, but it would seem that we both love you very much." The kitten places a paw against Blake's cheek and looks at you and lets out the cutest tiny meow you have ever heard. "See? He agrees." She plants a kiss to the top of his head and whispers to him. "Would you like to come home with us? Weiss is no fun, but I promise you can hang out with me. We can lay on the couch and sit in the sunshine and read. If you're lucky, I will share tuna rolls with you when we get sushi for dinner. No promises though, young man." Another small meow fills the air.

You follow Blake through the adoption center back to the offices to complete the paperwork. Blake sets the kitten on your lap as the adoption representative asks you some questions and places a stack of forms for you both to fill out in front of you.

As you fill out all the forms and sign yourselves over to a life of responsibility and pet ownership, you can't help but smile.

You never thought you could be this happy. Especially with someone with whom you thought there were no promises.