Page 142 of Denial
Four Months Later…
Halloween
“Can I light them now?”
Nellie looks over her jack-o’-lantern proudly. The triangle eyes and sharp teeth she carved all by herself.
“Sure can, kiddo. Press this button and click this one like this.” I hand her the tea candle and the long candle lighter, demonstrating how to light the flame as I pass it over.
We lean over the candle together. Nellie sticks her tongue out between her lips in concentration as she focuses on igniting the flame.
Just as the wick catches, the door opens. The security alarm beeps until Sutton enters the code.
“Dad! Come look at our pumpkins. Alice and I made them together.”
I wince but maintain my smile. Sutton had mentioned before leaving for work how disappointed he was about missing thepumpkin carving. I hope Nellie’s excitement doesn’t dampen his mood.
“Those look cool, Nellie-Jo. You even have the flame lit and everything,” Sutton says, admiring her handiwork.
“Can we put them on the porch?”
Sutton glances from his daughter to me. “One sec. I have something to show you first.”
A frisson of excitement zips through me. Sutton crosses into the kitchen, a large bag hanging from his elbow.
“What do you have planned?” I ask, eyeing the bag with suspicion.
“You said you love surprises…”
“You brought us a surprise?” Nellie dances on her tiptoes, trying to get a better look.
The bag on his elbow rustles with movement that doesn’t come from Sutton.
He reaches into the bag. “Candy and costumes and trick-or-treating are a lot of fun, but I thought we could make this Halloween special in another way.”
My eyes widen, and Nellie squeals as Sutton produces a very tiny black kitten. Its blue eyes blink slowly, and its tiny claws dig into his sleeve as it tries to climb up to his neck.
“You bought us a kitten!”
The way Nellie refers to us as a unit warms my heart. She took to me moving in permanently with zero issues.
“Ifoundyou a kitten.”
A smile curves my lips as Sutton plops the little peanut into my awaiting palms. I kneel, letting Nellie crowd in as we both inspect the baby from up close.
“Where did you get it? Him? Her?” I lift the tail. “Her.”
Nellie pets her, cooing as she strokes from ears to tail.
“Someone found a feral litter. I brought them by Cortney’s vet clinic, but I decided this little one was coming home with me today.”
“She’s soooo cute!” Nellie croons, tickling the kitten between her ears.
“What should we call her?” I stroke my fingertips over her soft fur.
“Let’s call her Midnight!” Nellie suggests without hesitation.
I glance at Sutton. “What do you say?”
