Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Sonja had been at Derek’s place for a week when they got word about Angie. She’d been charged with attempted homicide in addition to all the lesser charges related to the vandalism and damage to the café. Her lawyers were pushing for five years in a private mental hospital, but Jackson assured them that with the attempted murder charge, she would be locked up for at least ten years. They would need to regularly renew the restraining order if she got out, but that was a long way away for now.
After that, Sonja had tried to talk to Derek about going back to her apartment, even though she didn’t look forward to setting foot in the building or being alone without Snuggles.
Derek had given her a panty-melting look and answered, “Stay, babygirl,” and she’d done just that.
To her utter surprise, his mother had been pleased with Sonja moving in with him. When she’d visited Derek’s family, his mamá had scolded him and told him in both Greek and English to take care of her and never to let her go.
Sonja smiled at the memory. At her panicked expression, Maya had hurried to translate her mother’s words and added with a grin. “Mamá might be small, but she’s the absolute matriarch of the family, a family you’re now part of.”
Sonja’s throat tightened at the memory. It was wonderful to be part of a family again. But family or not. She was alone and bored.
With two days to go until the stitches came out, Sonja was anxious to get back to work. She was bored and feeling sorry for herself and didn’t need Derek’s help anymore. Coloring and watching movies had gotten old, and while Sonja loved the extra time with him, when he wasn’t home, she didn’t know what to do with herself. Before, in her own apartment, she’d had household chores to do and a cat to keep her company. Snuggles was gone, and she didn’t know if or when she would get another. Would Derek want a cat? Had he meant for her to stay permanently?
She had been going around in circles in her head for most of the day when Derek came home.
“Hello,” she said without much enthusiasm.
“What’s the matter, precious? You sound depressed. Has something happened?” Derek asked.
She rose to her feet and walked over to greet him. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just missing you and Snuggles and my stuff and feeling sorry for myself.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m home now, and I’ll take care of at least one part of your loneliness.” Why didn’t he wrap his arms around her like he usually did?
She took a better look. Derek was holding an oddly shaped box with a large bow on top. “Daddy! A present? What’s the occasion?”
“I know when my babygirl is hurting, and this present is guaranteed to cheer her up. That’s the only reason I need,” Derek said as he headed further into room. “Let’s go sit down on the couch, and I’ll let you open it.”
Sonja reached for the package, but Derek stopped her.
“Patience, babygirl. Sit down, let me take my coat off, and then you can have it.”
Sonja stuck out her lower lip in a pretend pout. “Yes, Daddy.”
Once he had his coat off, Derek handed her the box and sat down next to her. “Here you go.”
Sonja took the box. It felt odd, like the contents were moving around. “Daddy? What did you get me?” She had butterflies in her stomach. Could it be?
She ripped off the bow and figured out how to open the box. Inside, were two of the most adorable white kittens she had ever seen. Their eyes were blue, and since they were white, would probably stay that way. They couldn’t be more than two months old; they were so small. They looked up at her, startled out of their activities by the light.
“Oh, you beauties! Daddy, they’re gorgeous! How did you do it? They look too young to adopt!” She put her hand into the box to let both sniff her before she tried to lift either one out.
“I know someone who runs a small rescue group. You’re officially fostering them for the next two months, after which you can adopt them. She wasn’t really happy about stretching the rules, but when I told her about Snuggles and how bereft you were, she decided it would be okay. She’ll be coming over tomorrow evening to check everything out and make sure they’re settling in.”
“That’s wonderful. We can get things kitten-proofed easily enough.” The most adventurous of the kittens had stopped sniffing her hand and was starting to see if it could climb her arm.
“Oh, baby,” she said to the kitten. “Are you ready to come out and see your new home?” She reached in with her other hand to pull it out. “Aren’t you the curious little thing?”
The kitten was not completely white but had a ring of orange near the tip of its tail. She’d never seen anything like it. The other kitten, lonely for its sibling, started looking for a way out, too. Sonja plopped the first one in Derek’s lap and reached in for the other. “You’re adorable, too. Now let’s see. Are you a boy or a girl?” She lifted its tail. “A little girl. And you’re completely white. How lovely. What about the first one, Daddy?”
Derek didn’t have to check. “They’re both eight-week-old females, just-weaned litter mates. I’ve got a bag of kitten food and instructions for them in the car.”
“They’re wonderful, Daddy. And two will be better than one. Snuggles got into all sorts of trouble when he was a kitten, and I wasn’t home to play with him. These darlings will entertain each other. They’re so brave.”
The kittens were sniffing all around Sonja’s and Derek’s laps and finding each other again. They seemed completely fearless. The next thing Sonja knew, the kitten in her lap was on the floor checking out their feet and the floor around and under the couch. The one with the orange tip on her tail joined her sister and the exploration continued.
Sonja was completely smitten as she settled on the ground to watch them.
Derek patted her head. “I’ll be right back, babygirl. I’m going to get their stuff from the car.”
Sonja nodded, but her attention was riveted on the kittens. The completely white one walked around on stiff paws. Her sibling followed in a near crouch. After their second round, exploring all the shiny new things around them, the more timid cat surprised Sonja by making a short sprint that ended in a silly jump right before her. The pure white one flopped on her butt and almost seemed to be thinking, ‘what are you doing?’ Her sibling rushed back to her, and they tumbled to the floor in a whirl of cat limbs.
“What are you going to call them?” Derek asked, startling Sonja. She hadn’t even noticed his return.
“I don’t know, Daddy. Do you have any ideas?”
Derek studied the cats, who now had fallen asleep on top of each other. “Hmm. How about calling the all-white one Luna, after the moon, and the one with the orange tip on her tail, Aurora, for the dawn? The orange tip is just the beginning of the sun coming up.”
“Those are perfect names, Daddy. Luna and Aurora. I like that. They’ve brought light back into the apartment, and you brought them. I love you so much, Derek.”