It was November 1st and Riley Matthews was freaking out.
Why, you ask? Well, first of all, there was only twenty-one days until the family reunion of a lifetime. Second, was that it was an age-old tradition that Riley started her search for the perfect Christmas gifts. And third?
Her cat was missing.
"Prissy, why did you have to disappear on me today of all days?" Riley groused, throwing her head back in exasperation. "On the most stressful-est day of the month? Really?"
It wasn't the cat's fault, if she was being honest. Priscilla did this every few weeks, and usually was back in the morning for Riley to let her in, but it was two in the afternoon and she was worried. (So, naturally, she blamed the cat that she wasn't out of the apartment at such an outrageous time.)
Her phone buzzed for the nth time and Riley picked it up from the counter with a sigh. "Hello?"
"I'm an hour late and you're not yelling at me—or, here, for that matter. What's up?" Maya's voice burst out of the phone and Riley winced as she realized she'd left it on speaker while talking to her mother and simultaneously cleaning out the closet to see if the Blue Russian feline was there, and held the phone away from her ear before answering.
Her voice came out more strangled than intended, so she repeated more clearly: "Priscilla's missing, Maya."
"Oh, no, Honey." Maya's voice instantly took on a sincere tone. "She didn't come back this morning?"
"No, I checked, and I have to be here to let her in! Maya, please help me!"
"Okay, okay, I'm coming up."