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After the last one, I thought kittens were in order, or at least one kitten. ;) Just a little piece of fluff, literally. ;)
The naming of cats is a difficult matter.-T.S. Eliot
Renee Grover came home one Friday to find her husband Lou sitting on the floor dragging a piece of string for a small, tabby kitten. She had to smile at the sight of her hulking husband and the tiny cat. "I thought you weren't bringing the kitten home until next weekend when the kids are home," she said.
Lou didn't look up. "Steve was anxious to get rid of them."
"Mm-hm." Renee suspected her husband was the anxious one. Lou's boss, Steve McGarrett, had been fine a few days ago when they'd talked about when to bring the kitten home. "Long day at work?" she asked, seemingly changing the subject.
"Long week. Case involved kids. Those are always hard, you know?"
Renee knew. Lou had been working long hours, but he'd been making a point to spend time with their kids when he was home and looking in on them, staring longingly, when he got home and they were already asleep. And now they were gone for the weekend.
"I just, I needed something to take care of," Lou continued, admitting a vulnerability he seldom acknowledged.
Renee hugged him. "I understand."
"I've been trying to think of a name," Lou said.
"I thought you got the kitten for the kids," Renee said. "Why don't you let them name her?"
"Because they won't be home until Monday, and we need to be able to call her something besides "kitten"."
"What did Steve call her?"
"Tiger. I'm not calling her Tiger. I'm a Chicago boy—somebody will think I'm from Detroit," Lou stated.
"Or that you have a tiger-striped cat," Renee reasoned.
"No, just no. No Tiger."
"Well, you sure as hell aren't calling her Cubby."
"Why not?" Lou asked. Renee just glared at him. "Okay, fine. How about Soldier for Soldier's Field? Or Navy, for Navy Pier? And Steve's in the Navy, so that's appropriate."
"Need I remind you this cat's a girl?"
"It should have something to do with Chicago," Lou said. "Sox?"
"She has none," Renee pointed out.
"Why are you making this so difficult?" Lou complained.
"Just trying to be helpful."
"Well, you're not." He thought a minute. "How about Wrigley?"
Renee considered the name. "I can live with that."
Lou looked down at the kitten who had gotten tired of the string and climbed into his lap. He stroked its soft head with one huge finger. "What about you? Wrigley suit you?"
A purr was his only response. Lou decided to take that as an affirmative.
Lou, Renee, and Wrigley spent a quiet evening watching TV, Wrigley curled up on Lou's lap. Renee was starting to wonder just how much Wrigley was going to be the kids', and how much she was going to be Lou's. Renee had a sneaking suspicion she knew the answer.
It was confirmed when they went up to bed, and Lou picked up the kitten, carrying her with them.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Renee demanded. She pretended to be angry, but she wasn't really.
"I'm bringing her to bed."
"I thought she was going to sleep with one of the kids."
"They're not here," Lou said. "I thought she could sleep with us tonight."
"And what happens when she gets used to it?"
Lou just looked at her pleadingly, the kitten adding her wide-eyed gaze to the mix.
Renee gave in. She hadn't really intended not to. "Okay, fine. But you get to explain to the kids why you've hijacked their kitten."
"She'll still be theirs," Lou protested.
"Mm-hm." Renee didn't buy that for a minute. Wrigley clearly had Lou wrapped around her paw. "We'll just see about that."
Renee turned out the light, and they settled down, Wrigley curled up on Lou's pillow like she belonged there. Which, Renee thought, she probably did. And that was just fine.