Chapter Three
Caroline
I don’t even realize I’ve completely zoned out until the car behind me lays on the horn.
Hoooonk.
“Alright, alright, I’m going!” I yell, only to myself, as if the other drivers can hear me.
My brain is still distracted by who I just ran into.
What the heck even just happened?I mean, I assumed he still lived here.
Obviously. But it didn’t even cross my mind that our paths would ever cross again.
The stoplight flicks from yellow to red and I slow to a stop.
Deja vu washes over me and I'm temporarily brought back to my past life, before I let myself forget this place even existed.
I don't allow my mind to wander into those particular memories very often—not when their abrupt halt nearly destroyed me. The light turns green.
At this point, I’m just driving around aimlessly. If I go home, I have to face my parents and submit to a line of questioning that I don't have the answers to. But I had to get the heck out of that cafe before I ran into any other long lost strangers.
Kate is still blowing up my phone, as is the whole group chat, but I’ve put it on ‘do not disturb’ until further notice. I thought that a catch-up with my friend would help to clear my head, but instead I just left even more disoriented.
After grabbing a large Diet Coke from McDonald’s, I pull over at Fairview Park and park the car so that I can check my phone at the overlook.
There’s a beautiful field of red poppies that are somehow still in bloom, giving me a good distraction.
Opening the Facebook app, I decided against myself to search for his name.
Are we even friends on here? Sure enough, there he is: Reid Perry.
I’m pretty sure this picture is from like 2018 and hasn’t been updated since.
It doesn’t look like he posts much in general, but it doesn’t matter because he’s hardly aged a day.
“Like a fine wine,” isn’t that what they say?
His tousled brown waves are still free of grey hairs, his chiseled jaw line dusted with the same shade of dark five o’clock shadow…
and that smirk, that damn smirk. How does his smize and charisma transfer through just a web photo?
It’s those same olive green eyes that I fell for all that time ago… before I knew better.
Throwing my phone back in the passenger seat without responding to a single message, I hop out for some fresh air.
Taking a walk to clear my mind, Diet Coke in hand, might just do me some good.
As I close the door and start for the trail, I hear the faintest…
cry? I’m not sure what it is, but I wish the wind would shut up so I could hear.
Slowly carrying on, I hear it again. Only, it’s not a cry…
but a meow. Looking around the wooded lot, I finally lay eyes on the tiny shadow in the distance.
I creep forward, trying my best not to startle the little thing, unsure of what exactly my plan is here.
Fully expecting the source of the meowing to run away from me as soon as I get close, I am startled to find it inching closer to me as well.
As the teeny spotted kitten finally emerges from a floral array, it comes over and sniffs my hands to get acquainted.
I am taken aback at being greeted by purring rather than terrified hisses.
I may not own any animals, but I know enough that this thing is not acting feral.
Looking around, I can’t seem to find any possible owner or mother cat around.
Now what the heck do I do? I head back to my car to whip out my phone and Google the closest vet office or shelter near me.
A place called West Side Family Vet is only two miles from here and has good reviews.
Not sure how I’m going to get this little guy there, but I certainly can’t leave it out here.
I look around for a box or anything to transport the furry animal in, but my search falls short.
Grabbing the pack of peanut butter crackers out of the passenger seat and trying not to make any sudden moves, I prepare to lure the cat into my car.
I follow the same few steps to where I left the kitten, in hopes that it’s still there.
Right where I left it and to my surprise once again, there is no luring needed.
Purring and rubbing it’s cold, wet, pink nose on my thumb, this tiny fluffball is very trusting.
I decide to scoop it up, but he or she barely weighs a thing.
This day is taking quite the turn… so much for a nature walk.
I sit my new sidekick in the passenger seat and pray the little feline stays there, since I don’t exactly have a carrier with me.
We make it down the road to the clinic right outside of town.
I park the car and tuck fluffball under my arm as we enter the clean and inviting vet office.
There’s a large L-shaped desk in the left corner of the entrance and the curly haired secretary looks like she’s trying to figure out if I even have an animal with me.
“Helloooo,” I draw out in a sing-song, “I stumbled across this abandoned kitten at the park and was hoping you all could help me out.”
“Aww hi cutie, what were you doing out there?” The lady skips past me and speaks directly to the cat in a baby voice.
Switching back to her customer service voice, she looks at me, “We can certainly check to see if she’s microchipped and belongs to anyone.
If not, we will reach out to the shelter next door… unless you want to keep her?”
“Her? How do you know it's a her?” I respond, not answering the question.
“Oh, well most calico cats are. You can tell by the coloring, but we will confirm.” Martha, according to her name-tag, explains.
“Okay, well no I certainly can’t keep her.
I just wanted to make sure she was safe.
She was meowing in the field of poppies over at Fairview and came right up to me.
She’s very friendly, I’m sure someone is missing her.
” I am in no place to be taking in a kitten, when I don’t even know where I’m living at the moment.
My parents would kill me if I came home with an animal right now.
“Aww, Poppy!” She seemingly names the little fur ball before turning to yell to the back, “Dr. Perry, we have a new friend!”
Dr. What? Did she just say… Perry?
“Amanda, can you go grab the good doctor for us?" Martha asks a passing technician with a clipboard. Then, to my chagrin, I see a long white coat as it sweeps around the corner, followed by the smug smirk wearing it. You've got to be kidding me.