Chapter 13
When Ivy and Mitch opened the door to Mitch and Shelly’s bungalow, a look of relief washed over her sister’s face.
“Vanz just got here,” Shelly said. “We have a little emergency.”
The teenager sat on the futon looking very small and cradling a kitten in his lap. The small tabby had a bloodied hindquarter, and Shelly knelt beside them with a first aid kit, gently cleansing the wound. Daisy watched from her perch on the armchair, wide-eyed and solemn.
Ivy saw tears in his eyes as he stroked the kitten, comforting it.
“What can I do to help?” Ivy asked.
Shelly looked up. “Could you bring a glass of water for Vanz?”
“I’ll help you,” Mitch said.
“How are you doing?” Ivy asked when they were in the kitchen.
With a worried look, Mitch ran a hand through his spiky hair. “This is an awful lot to take in, but I’m going to do the right thing by that kid.”
Ivy hugged him. “We’re here to help.”
“Thanks,” he said, reaching into the cabinet for glasses.
Ivy returned to the living room and put the glasses on the surfboard they used as a coffee table. The room had a comfortable beachy vibe, and Vanz seemed to relax a little.
“Do you know what happened to the kitten?” Ivy asked.
“When I was heading out of town, I saw a car hit it,” Vanz said without looking up.
“One day when I was hanging around Java Beach, I overheard Mitch and Shelly talking about a vet. I didn’t know where else to take it.
You weren’t at Java Beach, so I came here.
” He paused. “I once followed Mitch home, so I knew where he lived.”
The kitten mewed softly, its eyes half-closed.
Ivy pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Poppy and see if Dr. Caleb is in or she can reach him.”
“Why were you leaving?” Mitch’s voice was tight with emotion.
“I did some bad stuff.” Vanz kept petting the cat, avoiding looking at anyone. The confession poured out of him now that it had started. “I need to tell you. I sprayed black paint over your mural and threw the chairs around. I was mad at you for not recognizing me when I first came in.”
Mitch leaned forward. “Hey, dude, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know.”
Vanz looked up sheepishly. “I could’ve told you. But I was mad at everything when I got here. I took it out on your place, and I’m sorry. I can try to repaint it or work it off.”
The boy looked so guilty and miserable that it broke Ivy’s heart. Shelly gripped the first aid kit, preparing herself.
Mitch sat down on the futon near Vanz. “Mind telling me how old you are?”
“Sixteen,” Vanz replied.
Rocking slightly, Mitch clasped his hands. “And who is your mother?”
Vanz finally looked up, his eyes red-rimmed. “Her name is Melinda. You probably don’t remember her.”
Ivy watched the blank look on Mitch’s face. She reached for Shelly’s hand, squeezing it gently.
Mitch swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
“My mom and yours are cousins.” Vanz’s voice cracked slightly.
“Then… then that makes us cousins, too.” Mitch ran a hand over his face in relief. “So, why did you come here?”
Vanz stroked the kitten as if he wasn’t sure how to answer the question.
Finally, he said, “My dad was drunk one night, like he always is, and he blew up at me for not helping him find the TV remote. He locked me out, so that’s why I came here looking for you.
I had some money saved for a bus ticket. ”
The words tumbled out faster now, like a dam breaking. “Mom tries to protect me, but he goes after her instead.” He shook his head. “She only stays with him because of me. I figured if I left, she’d be free.”
Ivy’s throat tightened. A boy of sixteen, homeless and alone, trying to protect his mother by running away. “Does she know where you are?”
“She does. Not my dad.”
Mitch asked, “Is your mom in danger? Or any brothers or sisters?”
“I’m the only kid,” Vanz replied. “But I worry about my mom.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Shelly murmured, her eyes bright with tears.
Mitch leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You’re family. You understand that, right? We’re all here for you.”
Vanz furrowed his brow, clearly skeptical of this. “But I destroyed your property.”
“We can deal with that,” Mitch said. “But first, we need to make sure you’re safe. And your mom.”
Vanz’s grip on the kitten tightened slightly, and the little one mewed in protest. He immediately loosened his hold, whispering an apology.
Bennett cleared his throat. “We need to contact the authorities in Palm Vista to make sure your mother is protected, and that she knows you’re in safe hands.”
“Will I have to go back?” Panic crept into the teen’s voice.
“Not to him,” Mitch said, setting his jaw. “I’ll make sure of that. But Vanz, you’re only sixteen. I’ll work with your mother to figure out what’s best for both of you.”
Daisy had been silent throughout, watching from beside Shelly. Now she climbed down and approached Vanz slowly, looking at the kitten.
“Hurt?” she asked in a small voice.
Petting the kitten, Vanz nodded. “He needs a doctor.”
“Dr. Caleb could help,” Ivy said. “He treats animals.”
Just then, Ivy’s phone buzzed with a text from Poppy. Caleb can meet you. I gave him the address.
Ivy put her arm around Daisy. “In fact, the doctor will be here soon.”
Mitch lifted his chin toward Vanz. “We know you were staying in the bunker.”
“I didn’t touch anything in there.” Vanz blinked hard against tears pooling in his eyes.
Shelly touched the boy’s shoulder. “You needed shelter. But you can’t stay there anymore. It might not be safe.”
“So stay with us.” Mitch’s voice was welcoming. “You can sleep on the futon. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out the rest.”
They talked more until a knock sounded on the door. It was Dr. Caleb.
Ivy greeted him. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”
“Glad you called.” Caleb examined the kitten’s hind quarter with care. “This little kitten was lucky. Young cats are more resilient.”
While Caleb worked on the kitten, Daisy watched in fascination.
Vanz continued petting the kitten. “Dad never let me have a pet. Can I keep him?”
Mitch and Shelly traded a look, and Shelly nodded. “Unless she belongs to someone else, she can stay with you for now.”
Seeing Vanz bury his head into the kitten’s fur tugged at Ivy’s heart.
Caleb was clearly moved by the boy’s fondness for the kitten. “Would you mind if I took her overnight for observation? I want to make sure she’s okay.”
Vanz stroked the kitten and nodded. “You’ll take good care of her?”
Caleb squatted to eye level with Vanz. “I promise. And my sidekick, a big furry dog named Starry, loves it when I bring home patients so she can mother them. I have a carrier in my vehicle. I’ll get it and come right back for her, okay?”
Vanz nodded with a measure of relief.
Ivy smiled at that, remembering how Starry had looked after Pixie when she was injured. She would ask Caleb if the kitten could stay with him until after they returned from the apple orchard trip they’d planned for tomorrow.
Turning back to Vanz, Shelly asked, “Do you mind if we call your mother?”
Vanz gave her his mother’s phone number. Mitch went outside to make the call.
When Mitch returned, he filled Vanz in on the conversation. “Your dad has disappeared, but your mom plans to stay with her sister while she figures out what to do. She asked if you could stay here temporarily. A few weeks, maybe a month or so, until she gets settled.”
Shelly smiled at the teenager. “We’re happy to have you and the kitten. What will you call it?”
Vanz thought for a moment. “I think she’s lucky, so that’s what I’ll call her. Lucky.”
“That’s a great name,” Shelly said.
When Caleb returned with a carrier, Vanz handed the kitten to him. “Goodbye, Lucky, I’ll see you soon.”
Caleb picked up the carrier and thanked them all for calling him.
After the veterinarian left, Shelly put her arms around Vanz, and after a moment of stiffness, he melted into her hug. His thin shoulders shook with silent sobs while Shelly held him, and Mitch wrapped his arms around them.
Ivy reached for Bennett, and he clasped her hand, squeezing gently. She watched the heartfelt scene, hoping that Vanz wouldn’t flee during the night.