Theo eyed the rear facade of the shelter as I picked up Tigger’s poop and foiled his latest leaping escape attempt. “You’d have to move the dumpster so the truck could still get to it. Or maybe use two rolling gates we could pull across to make a corridor and roll back for vehicle access.”
“Next month. Or given all the funding needs, maybe next year.”
“I’ll see what we can do.”
“Mr. Treasurer.” I nudged Theo’s hip. He, Arthur, and I turned out to work well together, but we were hoping to get additional volunteers and more fundraising and… Oh, well, for tonight, it all could wait.
We wandered on, the long weeds tangling our feet. A puff of dust rose from under Tigger’s scrambling paws to sparkle in the mellow evening air.
“Anything new on your sister?” Theo spoke tentatively, because he knew I was still unsure about any family contact. Following Anne on the library internet was as close as I’d come so far.
“Not that she’s posted. She seems to be in panic mode about exams.” Once I’d deposited a real paycheck in an actual bank account that I opened with current ID, I’d bitten the bullet and gone online. Anne was a freshman at the state university and it healed something in me, seeing her posting about classes and friends.
She had a full-ride scholarship, from last year’s photo she had up of her holding a letter and grinning, with Mom at her side. In the picture, Mom wasn’t smiling, or even looking at her smart kid, she was staring darkly off to her left. Maybe one of the littler kids was getting into trouble, but seeing that, I’d had to log out and come back another day.
But Anne was doing great. She’d always been the smartest of us all. “She posted she has a summer job but didn’t say what.”
“You think you’ll ever contact her?”
I shrugged. Anne didn’t seem to need me, and what would I say to her?“Sorry I ditched you?”As for the rest, I didn’t want Mom or especially my stepdad near Theo with his big heart. But there were still the littler kids at home, even if Anne never mentioned them in the public part of her account. Maybe one day, I’d ask her to let me know if they ever needed me, now I actually had resources to help. Not yet, though. Theo and Mimsy and the shelter were making me believe I finally stood on solid ground, but… not yet.
I took a long breath of sweet, evening air carrying the faint sea-tang that marked Gaynor Beach. “For now, I want to celebrate. Look at that place.” I waved at the shelter where the foundation stood weed-free and welcoming light shone through the glass-block windows. New floodlights cast a glow across the resurfaced parking lot, and the last golden evening rays outlined the shape of my apartment up above. In the cat room, three contented felines would be curling up in cushy cat beds. At our sides, the dogs sniffed and wagged happily.
I nudged Theo’s arm. “We did it. For real. Safe Haven’s a reality. Jesus, Theo, we did it!”
Theo leaned close to kiss me. “We did.”
Next second, we almost clonked noses as Tigger thumped his paws against my back.
I pushed the excited dog away. “Fuck. Let’s put the fur monsters in their kennels.”
“Sure. And then you can show me your apartment.”
“Given that you did the reno personally, and we fuck in there a couple times a week, I don’t think there’s much you haven’t seen.” I led the way inside, locking the door carefully and setting the alarm. The dogs went into their kennels with just one treat each. Maybe the opening-day circus actually had worn Tigger out.
“There are bits I want to see again,” Theo said. “Like the ones under your clothes.”
I laughed, turning out the backroom lights. “That was bad.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“So bad.” I led the way through the door into the hall and then up the stairs. At the top, Theo had divided off a modest office for the rescue on the right and closed in all the separate, private space on the left. I opened the apartment door.
Mimsy came running up to us, meowing like she hadn’t been fed in weeks. “What?” I asked, scooping her up. “You got double treats with the shows today. Maybe triple.”
She squirmed free, trotted to the cat door beside the human one, and batted at the panel. I bent and undid the latch. “Okay, you can roam around again. Don’t tease Tigger too much, though. His bark’s almost worn out.”
Mimsy wiggled through the door and was gone.
“Is she okay down there now you have other critters?” Theo asked.
“She’ll be fine. I’ve closed off the cat zone, and those two dogs are harmless. Worst that’ll happen is she finds some leftover cupcake.” And we’d told Nice Buns not to do any chocolate.
I turned to Theo and slung my arms around his neck. “So, you wanted the apartment tour?”
“I wanted the under-your-clothes tour.”
“Exclusive. One customer only.” I kissed him. “Shall we take this to the bedroom?”
