Chapter 6: Confessions, Kittens, and Second Chances

Somewhere along the way, my teenage eyes always drifted to the boy by the window. But over time, I figured my quiet caution and his wild streak would never cross paths, so I buried it deep.

As we passed a couple kissing under a streetlight, Chase covered my eyes.

"What are you doing?"

I pulled his hand down. Chase said seriously, "No pressure. I’ll go at your pace, so I don’t scare you off again."

"If you go at my pace, won’t you get bored?"

"I’ve waited this long. Boredom’s the last thing I’m afraid of."

He fell for a closed-off girl like me and somehow developed infinite patience. I almost felt bad for him.

A cool breeze lifted my hair. I stood on tiptoe and found his lips. Just a light, brief kiss—pure sincerity. Chase found the back of my neck and deepened it.

That summer, Cottonball gave birth to five healthy kittens. My mom always said, "Cats bring poverty, dogs bring wealth." (Old superstition—basically, cats are expensive!) It was hard enough convincing her to let me keep Cottonball. Now with five more, we might not survive the chaos. The kittens weren’t even weaned, so Chase took the whole family to his place. I could only visit every few days.

Chase cleared out a room for Cottonball and the kittens. After a few visits, I noticed the blue-and-white tom was missing. Chase said he’d been neutered. Poor guy—one day he’s a rich playboy, the next he’s a retired grandpa.

"He’s had a full life. Time to retire. Be a respectable grandpa and quit fooling around."

I went with Chase to pick up the blue-and-white from the vet. The staff recognized me as Cottonball’s adopter. They’d moved locations last year but kept the same name. They said Cottonball had been a stray before she was full-grown, so she wasn’t very friendly to people, but she loved sticking with the blue-and-white. Some things are just meant to be.

On the way back, I asked Chase, "When did you start liking me?"

He leaned in. "Kiss me and I’ll tell you."

(The End)